Pacers Finally Light Home Fires

Reggie Miller and the Pacer bench took care of Indiana’s recent homecourt disadvantage.

Miller scored 19 points to lead five Indiana players in double figures as the Pacers ended a three-game home losing streak with a 101-83 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Duane Ferrell added 15 points, Travis Best 12, Jalen Rose 10 and Dale Davis had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers.

Ferrell and Rose both played a lot of minutes in backup roles.

“Our bench was terrific,” said Indiana Coach Larry Brown. “This was fun when a lot of guys contribute and help you win.”

Indiana’s reserves contributed 45 points, including 24 in the fourth quarter, compared to 23 by Sacramento’s substitutes.

“In the previous games, we have let the other teams get away. This one we were able to put them away,” Davis said.

Mitch Richmond led Sacramento with 18 points, but shot only seven of 20 from the field. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf added 12 points for the Kings, but made only four of 13 field-goal attempts.

Abdul-Rauf agreed the Indiana’s reserves were the difference.

“They played extremely well off the bench. They kept going to their strengths,” he said.

Miller scored 10 first-quarter points as the Pacers built a 12-point lead in the first half. However, the Kings rallied to pull within 43-38 at the half.

In the third quarter, Best and Miller combined for 15 of Indiana’s 25 points to help the Pacers push their lead to 10 points. Best made four of his five shots in the quarter and Miller made three of his four attempts.

As Indiana’s reserves took over in the fourth quarter, the Pacers’ lead swelled to as much as 20.

“We had the shots to put us in a position to win this game. But when you don’t shoot well, you don’t win,” Sacramento Coach Gary St. Jean said. “Eventually, they just widened the margin and kept it there.”

Golden State 124, New Jersey 118--Joe Smith scored a game-high 30 points and eight rebounds and Latrell Sprewell added 26 as the Warriors hung on to win at San Jose. Sprewell made 17 of 19 free throws, including six in the last 1:19. Sprewell’s showing at the line helped overcome a four-for-16 night from the field. Ray Owes added 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Golden State.

Rookie Kerry Kittles and Robert Pack scored 25 points each to lead the Nets, who had three players foul out. Shawn Bradley scored nine of the Nets’ first 11 points and finished with 15 in the half and a season-high 19 for the game.

The teams combined to take 92 free throws. The Nets made their first 20 free throws before missing in the third quarter, but Golden State’s .799 free throw percentage leads the NBA.

Trailing 114-113, New Jersey’s Kendall Gill tried a spin move on Sprewell, who blocked Gill’s shot with 1:21 left. Gill slapped at Sprewell and was called for his sixth foul, and Sprewell made two free throws to put the Warriors up 116-113.

After a New Jersey turnover, the Warriors scored on Joe Smith’s put-back basket for a 118-113 lead with 46.4 seconds remaining, and Golden State closed it out at the foul line.

After trailing, 72-64, at the half, New Jersey outscored Golden State, 24-7, over the first six minutes of the third quarter to go up, 88-79, following a three-point basket by Kittles.

But by the middle of the fourth, the Warriors tied it. New Jersey led, 101-92, with 10:40 to go before B.J. Armstrong’s layup capped a 9-0 run over 65 seconds for the Warriors.

The Warriors scored 39 points in the first quarter en route to a 72-64 halftime lead. It was the highest point total for a half for the Warriors this season.

Felton Spencer had four fouls and one rebound without scoring a point. The seven-foot center has not reached double figures in rebounds since joining the Warriors in the Rony Seikaly trade with Orlando.