From Indiana's perspective: Indianapolis Star's report on C's win

[kevin.lok@lycosmail.com (Kevin Lok)]

http://ingame.starnews.com/pacers/99/nov/1123st_vscelts.html

Celtics finally shoot down Bird, Pacers
 

By Mark Montieth
The Indianapolis Star
BOSTON (Nov. 23, 1999) -- As always, the chant rang out from the
FleetCenter faithful.
"Lar-ry! Lar-ry! Lar-ry!"
 AP photo / Elise Amendola
BAD NIGHT: Pacer Rik Smits (45) reacts with frustration as Boston's
Paul Pierce (34) heads towards the basket after stealing the ball from
Smits in the final minutes of the Celtics' victory. Celtic Walter
McCarty (0) watches at left.
This time, however, it had the ring of superiority rather than
reverence. Boston, dominating the fourth quarter with four reserves on
the floor, sped past the Indiana Pacers on Monday for a 95-85 victory
that ended coach Larry Bird's eight-game string of perfection against
his former team.
"They were mocking us for getting beat," Bird said afterward in the
hallway outside his team's locker room, from where the chant still
could be heard.
Bird didn't show much personal interest in the end of his streak. He
was more concerned with the why rather than the who of the defeat,
which dropped the Pacers to 6-5.
"We played very passively tonight," he said. "That's the second time
(along with the homecourt loss to Atlanta last Friday) we've played
soft. When we do that we don't have a chance to win too many games."
Although Bird doesn't preach it, his players are aware of his
heightened personal interest in beating the Celtics. This time,
however, awareness didn't translate to effort.
"When he took over the coaching job, I don't think he thought he'd go
three years without losing to the Celtics," Pacers forward Jalen Rose
said. "But at the same time we wanted him to find a way to beat them.
"I don't know if it was the odds catching up with us or their energy
was too much for us to overcome, but you have to give them credit."
Most of the credit goes to the Celtics' reserves, who outscored
Indiana's backups 38-16 and led a fourth-quarter flurry in which the
Pacers -- reserves and starters alike -- were dominated 34-20.
Backup point guard Dana Barros led the way with 15 points, getting 13
in the final period when he made 3-of-4 3-pointers. Open or
well-defended, it didn't seem to matter.
 AP photo / Elise Amendola
ARMS RACE: Reggie Miller (31) goes up against Boston's Paul Pierce
(left) as they battle for a rebound. At left is Celtic Adrian Griffin
(44).
For Barros, it was a personal breakthrough. Admittedly playing in a
funk since missing the season's first two games after the death of his
grandmother, with whom he lived while growing up, he was averaging
just 4.4 points on 34 percent shooting entering the game.
The Pacers couldn't match his fire. Aside from Travis Best, who hit
4-of-6 shots, their reserves hit just 3-of-23 field-goal attempts.
Combined with Reggie Miller's 5-of-16 effort, they simply came up
empty too many times. Their point total and field-goal percentage were
season-lows.
The Pacers, who trailed by three at halftime, finished the third
quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 65-61 lead into the fourth quarter.
But with each team playing four reserves to start the fourth, Boston
scored off offensive rebounds on its first two possessions to tie the
score.
Adrian Griffin put them ahead for good midway through the period with
a 15-footer that barely beat the shot clock. After Rose missed
consecutive 3-pointers from the same spot in the left corner on the
next possession, Barros came back with a well-defended 3-pointer to
open a three-point lead.
The Celtics continued on with a 19-4 run that opened a 13-point lead,
and ignited the home fans.
"I thought we got control of the game in the third," Miller said. "If
we had come out with more life in the fourth for five minutes and put
it to them ... but it was just the opposite. When you're playing
against a young emotional team that hasn't beaten you in three or four
years, you're going to give them life."
The Celtics soaked it in.
"I don't know about beating Larry," Kenny Anderson said. "We beat the
Indiana Pacers and we'd lost too many close games to them."

BOX SCORE
(snip)