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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Soembody forgot to tell the Magic and Pacers
that the playoffs haven't started yet.
|  | | Jalen Rose, right, had 12 points and 10 assists for the Pacers. |
Reggie Miller scored Indiana's last five points and the Indiana Pacers survived an intense second-half rally to defeat the Orlando Magic 96-95.
Miller scored 22 points to lead six Pacers in double figures.
The victory wasn't secured until Darrell Armstrong, who made
three 3-pointers in the final quarter and finished with 29 points
and 12 assists, missed a 3-point attempt from the right corner at
the final buzzer.
Orlando used Armstrong's hot shooting to rally from an 18-point,
third-quarter deficit.
"I hate losing, but that was fun; it really was," Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. "For our guys to come back like that, it was great. I told our guys that was very much like the way playoff basketball will be."
The fourth quarter lead seesawed until Miller made his shots and
Armstrong missed his.
Austin Croshere scored 14 points for Indiana, Jermaine O'Neal
scored 13, Al Harrington had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Rose added 12 points and 10 assists and Travis Best scored 10.
"Tonight was one of my nights," Miller said. "There's going
to be others when it's going to be Jalen, and it could very well be
Al or Jermaine. This is a team, it's a team game, and we're all
going to have to pull our weight."
With Boston losing at home, the Pacers opened a one-game lead
over the Celtics for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
Tracy McGrady scored 25 points for Orlando, and Mike Miller added 12.
Indiana was leading 69-51 with 5:20 to play in the third quarter
when Orlando began its comeback.
Armstrong and McGrady scored four points each as the Magic went
on a 17-5 run over the remainder of the quarter. McGrady hit two
baskets and Armstrong added a 3-pointer from the top of the key as
the Magic scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to
take a 75-74 lead.
The teams swapped the lead before Miller hit a 3-pointer from
the top of the key for a 94-91 lead with 1:14 remaining. Michael
Doleac and Miller traded free throws, Pat Garrity drove the
baseline for a basket with 34 seconds left and Rose missed a short
jumper before Armstrong's last shot bounced off the front of the
rim as time expired.
"Tracy penetrated, and somebody else ran at him, so they had a
double team," Armstrong said of the Magic's final possession.
"Two guys ran at Mike Miller. All of a sudden, I was left in the
corner. I saw two guys coming at me. I got a nice look at it. I
thought I had hit the game-winner, but I didn't."
Pacers coach Isiah Thomas liked the way the game ended.
"As long as you can get to the end of the game, we'll take our
chances with Reggie Miller taking the shot," Thomas said. "Jalen can make a shot, and Reggie has proven he can make his shots. With the way Al and Jermaine are playing, we've got four threats out there, plus Travis or Austin."
Croshere scored nine points as the Pacers outscored Orlando
23-14 over the final 9:30 of the first half. While the Pacers were
working the baseline for five baskets during their run, the Magic
missed nine five of their last 10 shots. The Pacers led 57-42 at
intermission.
Game notes
Mike Davis, who had his interim tag removed when he signed
a four-year contract to coach the Indiana University basketball
team earlier in the day, received a standing ovation from the
Conseco Fieldhouse crowd of 17,926. ... Armstrong has dished out 52
assists over the last five games. ... In the last five games,
Harrington is averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
... Miller ranks third among NBA rookies with his 11.1 scoring
average. ... O'Neal extended the club's single-season record for
blocked shots to 187. He blocked four on Tuesday to break the
standard of 184 established by Herb Williams in 1985-86. ... Rose
is averaging 7.2 assists in the Pacers' last 13 games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
Indiana Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Antonio 97
Boston 77
Indiana 96
Orlando 95
Charlotte 111
Toronto 95
Miami 109
Chicago 81
Milwaukee 107
LA Lakers 100
Minnesota 109
Dallas 97
Washington 99
Golden State 94
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