NBA PLAYOFFS : Inside, Outside, Smits Leads Pacers’ Victory : Eastern Conference: He scores 25 points as Indiana beats the Knicks, 98-84, to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

Rik Smits is a fair jump-shooter, which isn’t exactly what you want from a 7-foot-3 center, but when he is wide open and not far away from the basket, why not?

Smits was all of that Saturday in Market Square Arena, first establishing himself inside against Patrick Ewing, then getting open for enough shots to score 25 points in the Pacers’ 98-84 victory over the New York Knicks that has Indiana leading, 3-1, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Smits made nine of 16 shots and had 10 points in Indiana’s big third quarter, mostly on jump shots. He also had 11 rebounds.

“I know I can hit 15-footers consistently,” he said. “It helps everybody if I get going on the inside. If I draw the double team, it opens everything up.”

He got going on Ewing, who also had 25 points but struggled defensively on legs wrapped to support calf muscle and hamstring problems. Smits repeatedly darted around Ewing to score, helping to support a revenge-minded Pacer effort. Indiana held a 3-2 lead over the Knicks last year, only to lose the series in seven games.

“As a team, we feel a lot more experienced and confident enough that we can beat the Knicks this series,” Smits said.

They can end the series Wednesday night in New York.

Indiana’s Reggie Miller, who scored 21 points, was more subdued than usual.

“It’s going to be tough to close it out,” he said. “We have to come out and match their intensity.”

That was no trouble Saturday. The Knicks shot only 43% from the field and 64% from the free-throw line and were outrebounded for the fourth game in a row.

“Our circumstances are dire right now,” Coach Pat Riley said.

They became dire in the third quarter, when Indiana held New York to 17 points with pressure defense and came out with a 13-2 run to build a 65-53 lead. Smits made three baskets and Mark Jackson sank a three-point shot in the run.

“We talked about execution,” Ewing said, “but we didn’t come out and do it.”

Still, the Knicks kept talking.

“We’re going to win the series,” John Starks said.