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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana coach Isiah Thomas kept asking
Travis Best if he was OK.
|  | | Austin Croshere scored 10 points and hit two 3-pointers for the Pacers. |
Best didn't answer. Instead, he played on and had 18 points,
eight rebounds, five assists and three steals as the Pacers beat
the Phoenix Suns 85-81 Tuesday night.
"He was limping around out there. He was playing with a bad
toe, a bad back, a bad heel, a bad everything, but he found ways to
just stay in the game," Thomas said after Indiana snapped the
Suns' seven-game winning streak. "He was huge."
But Best was not the only Pacer playing well.
Jalen Rose matched Best's 18 points, including the 21-footer
that sealed the victory with 13.9 seconds left. Jermaine O'Neal
scored just six points but grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked five
shots, including Shawn Marion's putback with 1:14 left that kept
the Pacers in the lead. Jeff Foster had seven rebounds and a
crucial steal in the final minute.
It was an unusual cast for Indiana, but Thomas said he had no
choice.
"We just needed energy, we needed rebounding," Thomas said.
"When they went to a small lineup, you couldn't play Sam
(Perkins). I didn't think Zan (Tabak) was quick enough to guard any
of their forwards. They had a very quick, small team out there and
Austin (Croshere) was having trouble with their speed."
The Pacers managed to overcome all that and remain tied with
Boston for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston
also won Tuesday, 82-77 at Miami.
Phoenix coach Scott Skiles hardly recognized his team.
Phoenix shot just 37.5 percent from the field and was far worse
from 3-point range, shooting 1-for-13. The Suns were outrebounded
and outscored in the paint.
"This was a total departure from the way we've been playing of
late," Skiles said. "We just looked wild out there, took bad
shots all night. It wasn't very good."
The Suns trailed the entire first half and midway through the
third quarter, found themselves facing a 56-43 deficit before they
finally playing like the NBA's hottest team.
Phoenix scored eight straight points before Best hit two free
throws for Indiana. The Suns then ran off five more points to close
within 58-56.
Another 6-0 run by the Suns, which ended with two free throws by
Jason Kidd, gave Phoenix its first lead of the game, 62-60.
"This game really scared me tonight," Thomas said. "We didn't
have a favorable matchup anywhere on the floor."
Then the Pacers fought back.
Reggie Miller's 3-pointer with 7:36 left gave Indiana a 73-71
edge and 39 seconds later, Miller sank two free throws to break a
73-73 tie. Indiana followed that with an 8-2 run that made it
83-76.
Phoenix tried to rally with a 3-pointer from Mario Elie and a
15-footer from Kidd. But Marion, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds,
missed a 12-footer and O'Neal blocked Marion's putback. Best
answered that with his own block a 15-footer from Kidd and Rose hit
the 21-footer that made it 85-81.
"I kept asking (Best) was he all right," Thomas said. "He
kept shaking his head yeah. He hit some big shots for us."
Game notes
Phoenix or its opponents have blown leads of at least 13
points in seven of the Suns' last 14 games. ... Indiana is now 22-6
all-time against Western Conference teams at Conseco Fieldhouse.
... The Suns have not swept Indiana in a season series since
1984-85.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
Indiana Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 82
Miami 77
Charlotte 103
New Jersey 88
New York 94
Orlando 82
Indiana 85
Phoenix 81
Toronto 100
Philadelphia 85
LA Lakers 96
Utah 88
Detroit 110
Chicago 83
Dallas 109
Houston 97
San Antonio 107
Seattle 89
Denver 94
Portland 92
Milwaukee 107
Sacramento 101
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