Best for last: Travis scores 15 in fourth
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Travis Best never stood taller.
|  | | Take that, Knicks: Travis Best scored a playoff career-high 24 points Wednesday. |
The Indiana Pacers backup point guard, who stands just 5-foot-11, made up for his lack of size with speed. Then once he got open, hitting shots was easy.
"We just had to fight and give it everything we had," said
Best, who repeatedly sliced through or shot over the New York
defense for a playoff career-high 24 points in an 88-79 victory
Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
"We were fighting hard all year and we didn't want to give it
up this way," Best said. "We didn't want to go down 3-2 and have
to go to New York. So we just came out and fought and we got the
lead and that's all that happened."
The Pacers trailed by 18 points early in the second quarter.
First Jalen Rose and then Mark Jackson brought Indiana back.
Finally Best, who had 15 points in the final quarter, put the Knicks away.
"I just tried to be aggressive. I didn't think they could check
me," Best said. "I felt good. In a game that's so important, I
wanted to be aggressive and put up some shots and things went well.
"It's a great feeling to be one game away from going to the
championship. We're in a good position right now and we want to
take advantage of it. We want to close the series out."
Game 6 will be in New York on Friday.
The Pacers, in the conference finals for the fifth time in seven
years, have never been to the NBA Finals. After New York took a
32-17 lead, even the home fans were booing the Pacers.
New York's biggest lead was 37-19 before a basket by Rose
started a 23-3 run, and two free throws by Best with six seconds to
go put Indiana ahead 42-40 at the half.
The Pacers never trailed after that.
"We didn't want to panic. They jumped on us real good and we
had to respond," said Rose, who backed Best with 18 points.
"That's why you've got to stay in there. You can't worry about the
emotions of going up and down. Especially the last two quarters, we
really wanted it."
Reggie Miller, who had 16 points, gave the bulk of the credit to
Best.
"He was the one that got us into the bonus in the fourth
quarter because of his penetrating," Miller said. "He got into
the seams and was making point-blank layups."
Coach Larry Bird said he was a little worried in the first
quarter, although he never panicked because the effort was there.
"I kept telling them if they play the same way we'll come back.
Our defense was excellent," Bird said. "We just played hard ...
then Travis came in and gave us a lift. He can't see the floor as
well because of his size when he has big players coming at him, so
he just has to use his quickness to break down the defense and make
something happen."
Best was 7-for-11 from the field -- 2-for-3 on 3-pointers -- and
was 8-of-10 from the free throw line as the Knicks repeatedly
fouled him.
"He's a very good one-on-one player, and he's a very good
pick-and-roll player," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We
didn't handle him in either situation as we needed to in order to
keep him under control."
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