Playoffs 2000:Miller fails to produce in fourth quarter

Miller fails to produce in fourth quarter
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Reggie Miller started strongly, determined to shoot his way out of a horrific 1-for-16 performance two nights earlier.

He hit three of his first four shots, helping the Indiana Pacers to a quick five-point lead against the Los Angeles Lakers.

But when the Pacers needed him most in the fourth quarter of a close game, Miller again failed to produce any heroics. The Pacers lost 111-104 Friday night and trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.

He finished with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, far fewer shots than he said he wanted to take after Indiana lost Game 1. Miller had a playoff career-low seven points Wednesday night.

"We had a golden opportunity that slipped through our fingers," Miller said. "I thought I had a couple of good looks, a couple of open 3s."

Miller, who's made a career of thriving under the pressure of games decided in the final quarter, scored just two points on free throws in the fourth, when the offense went through Austin Croshere.

Croshere came up with his second solid game of the series, scoring 24 points and hitting all 12 of his free throws.

"It was good to have some punch coming off the bench. He gives the opposing team some type of problems because he can take them out on the floor," Miller said. "When he gets it going like that, it's a big plus for us."

Miller, Croshere and Jalen Rose, who had 30 points, played all 12 minutes of a fourth quarter that dragged on for 56 minutes, mostly because the Pacers repeatedly fouled Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal responded with 40 points -- including 18-of-39 free throws, an NBA record for attempts in a game -- and 24 rebounds.

"We did a good job double-teaming, but he still was just getting the ball so close to the basket on the post entry, and he just looked like a man among boys," Croshere said.

After Kobe Bryant sprained his left ankle landing on Rose's foot and had to leave nine minutes into the game, the Pacers focused on O'Neal. But the 7-foot-1 center required so much attention, Ron Harper and Glen Rice burned the Pacers for 21 points each.

"That's when you get hurt by the other guys," coach Larry Bird said. "When Kobe was out, Glen Rice was going to try to score more and he got the job done."

O'Neal went mostly unchallenged in the post against Dale Davis and Sam Perkins after Rik Smits picked up his fifth foul with 7:09 remaining in the third. Smits didn't return until the final minute and finished with four points in 16 minutes.

"We were hoping the double-team would keep the ball out of his hands, but he was still able to get some shots off," Smits said of O'Neal. "Once he would go up for a shot, everybody was down too low and we'd foul him."

The Pacers hurt themselves with 37.5 percent field-goal shooting, then were forced to go to the Hack-a-Shaq strategy that Bird said he wanted to avoid.

"When a game's that tight and you get down four or five, I think it's the best opportunity to get the ball back," Bird said. "He was struggling early. The more you put him at the line, the better he gets."