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Tuesday, Mar. 7 7:00pm ET
Pacers overcome 18-point deficit | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana's franchise-record home winning streak is 24 games thanks to a big advantage at the free throw line. Indiana salvaged a 90-89 victory over Denver after overcoming an 18-point deficit with the help of a 23-6 scoring edge in foul shots.
The Pacers trailed most of the game and the outcome was uncertain until George McCloud put up an airball from the corner on 3-pointer in the final seconds. Raef LaFrentz tipped the ball in as time ran out. "I got a pretty good look at it, but just didn't hit it," said McCloud. "There is no excuse for our loss. ... They are a team that can win games down the stretch, we need to learn how." The Pacers, the league's leading free throw shooters, were 22-of-26 from the line until missing five straight in the final minutes. The Pacers overcame 39 percent shooting from the field to defeat Denver for the ninth straight time, a run that dates back to March 31, 1995. "I'm seeing a pattern here with our starters not coming out at the start of the game. Thank God our second unit came out and got us back in it," Indiana coach Larry Bird said. Bird got 39 points from his bench, compared to 28 by Denver's reserves. Antonio McDyess had 23 points for Denver, which outrebounded the Pacers 60-43, with Keon Clark pulling down a career-high 22. The Nuggets had 21 offensive rebounds, but they converted the second-chance opportunities into just 12 points. Indiana trailed by as many as 18 in the first quarter and overcame a 10-point deficit in the third to tie the game for the first time at 67 on a 3-pointer by Reggie Miller. He had been scoreless until he hit a jumper to reduce Denver's lead to 65-64 with 1:52 left in the quarter. Jalen Rose led the Pacers with 19 points and nine assists. Five Pacers finished in double figures, with reserve Travis Best scoring 13. "I wasn't worried at all," said Best who had 10 points as Indiana got back in the game in the second quarter. "Denver looked good (early). Everything was a confident flow for them. We were a little bit sluggish, but I felt it was just a matter of time." A 3-pointer by Sam Perkins gave Indiana, which hasn't lost at home since Nov. 25, its first lead at 80-79. Nick Van Exel put Denver ahead for the last time with a jumper with 5:54 to go. "It was a tough break for us," McDyess said of the open 3-pointer by Perkins. "We'd been playing hard defensively all night. ... Sam just doesn't miss that kind of shot." Derrick McKey then hit four free throws to put Indiana ahead to stay, while the Nuggets were going three minutes without a field goal. "We see that we're struggling, so we have to get something started," McKey said of the reserves. "We try to play good defense, get the ball back and get running." Miller's 3-pointer made it 87-81, but LaFrentz, who scored 17, hit a 3-pointer. Best then drove the length of the court for a layup. The Pacers were 23-of-32 from the free throw line, but missed five straight with a chance to put the game away in the final minutes. Best then ended the slump by making his second attempt with 9.4 seconds to go. Denver opened an 18-point lead in the first quarter when the Pacers shot only 22 percent (4-of-18) from the field. A three-point play by Chris Gatling put the Nuggets ahead 32-14. The Pacers got back into with 27 points from their bench and trailed 49-47 at halftime. Game notesWith Denver's loss, the Los Angeles Lakers clinched a Western Conference playoff berth. ... The Nuggets put Roy Rogers on the injured list with a strained right thumb and activated Chris Herren, who had been on the injured list since Feb. 1 with a left knee strain. ... Denver also played without Tariq Abdul-Wahad, who has a sprained left wrist. ... Rose scored in double figures for the 29th straight game. ... Indiana has a league-best 27-2 record at home. ... The 18-point deficit was the largest Indiana has overcome in a victory. ... Denver's eight free throws attempts tied the fewest by an Indiana opponent this season. ... Rose took a career-high 24 shots from the floor, the most by a Pacer this season. ... Indiana made seven 3-pointers, setting a franchise record of 434 in a season. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Denver Clubhouse Indiana Clubhouse RECAPS Indiana 90 Denver 89
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