No. 1 INDIANA vs. No. 5 PHILADELPHIA

* Season series: 2-2.

* Story line: The Pacers and 76ers meet again in the second round, as they did a year ago when the 76ers were coming off a 3-1 upset of Orlando, and the Pacers torched them, 4-0. This time, neither team looks hot. Both 76er starting guards, Allen Iverson and Eric Snow, have chip fractures. The Pacers, who were supposed to be the class of the East, narrowly hung on to defeat No. 8 seed Milwaukee by one point in Game 5. The 76ers need the productive Iverson to show up. In the two victories over Indiana, he averaged 35 points--16 more than in the two losses. The Pacers, whose veterans resented management’s steps at rebuilding with youth, need another reincarnation of Reggie Miller, who posted his lowest scoring average (18.1) since the ‘80s, but pushed it to 24.2 when they needed it against the Bucks.

* Prediction: Oh, let’s say the Pacers succumb to their divisions and distress and Philadelphia heals enough to knock them off, 4-2.