All in vain - Indy Star

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

<<If you want to blame Thomas for this atrocity, proceed. No one affiliated
with the Pacers has distinguished himself in this series, and that includes
Thomas. But for those starting the Jeff Van Gundy campaign already, remember
that Thomas has been flexible in this series. He's been bold. He's tried to
be resourceful, encouraging and firm. All in vain. - Indy Star>>


All in vain.

C. Jemal Horton
Pacers' season is over
  

April 28, 2003
 
BOSTON -- They cannot win.

Forget the optimism. Forget any germ of potential for support at Conseco
Fieldhouse on Tuesday. Forget that boastful slogan proclaiming that it's just
basketball in 49 other states but in Indiana it somehow is different.The
Indiana Pacers will not overcome a 3-1 deficit and beat Boston in this
best-of-seven series.

No way.

If you weren't certain of that when the Pacers opened this series with a
cower, then Sunday's disgraceful Game 4 loss at the FleetCenter should have
put it all in perspective.

All of a sudden, this series is like Gary Coleman trying to defend Shaq in
the paint: a mismatch. The Celtics clearly are better. At the least, they are
a better playoff team. And, really, that's all that matters.

"They've kind of surprised me," Pacers forward Al Harrington said. "They're
tough. Their defense is tough.

"We have to get our minds right just to come out and play 48 minutes, try to
put together a complete ballgame so we can win."

No kidding.

But you know what? It doesn't do a bit of good to talk about what the Pacers
need to do in Tuesday's Game 5. See, they've already done everything. And
everything has failed.

Some folks, understandably, said coach Isiah Thomas needed to give Reggie
Miller and Austin Croshere more playing time. He did that in Game 3, and the
Pacers got beat.

Some people said Thomas needed to play Miller and Croshere less at decisive
times in this series. He did that, and they got beat Sunday.

Contain Paul Pierce? Yep, did that in Game 3, when Pierce was "held" to 21
points. Oh, did I mention the Pacers lost that one, too?

Even early in Sunday's game, when things were going well, you never got the
feeling the Pacers had this thing won.

Center Brad Miller actually was playing like something other than the world's
shortest 7-footer . . . and Ron Mercer was providing necessary scoring from
the perimeter . . . and Harrington finally was making a contribution . . .
and Jermaine O'Neal, traveling solo in this series, was carrying his usual
heavy load.

Yet the Pacers never could really distance themselves from the Celtics. You
knew the third quarter was coming. You knew Boston's role players would
contribute. And you just had to know the Pacers wouldn't figure out what to
do.

In the Pacers' dressing room Sunday, the classy Mercer, unfortunately, began
singing the same mediocrity-accepting song about not playing 48
minutes.Mercer was asked how, under the circumstances, his team couldn't
maintain focus an entire game.

"I wish I knew," Mercer said. "If I knew then . . . well, if anybody knew
right now, we would try to make adjustments. But we just have to go out and
fight hard and put everything on the line."

If you want to blame Thomas for this atrocity, proceed. No one affiliated
with the Pacers has distinguished himself in this series, and that includes
Thomas.

But for those starting the Jeff Van Gundy campaign already, remember that
Thomas has been flexible in this series. He's been bold. He's tried to be
resourceful, encouraging and firm.

All in vain.

Boston's players have been cohesive and Indiana's have not. Boston has shot
well and Indiana has not. The combination of Boston's excellence and
Indiana's shameless ineptitude are why Boston will advance and Indiana will
not.

"They really wanted to play us instead of New Orleans (in the first round),"
Boston's Tony Delk said.

"They listened to people saying they already had us beat. That disrespected
us."

Now, they'll need to amend the boastful slogan in the Hoosier state. After
all, Massachusetts will have playoff basketball next week.

But this is Indiana.

C. Jemal Horton is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star.

Contact him at 1-317-444-6514


CeltsSteve