Pacers Showcase the Proper Mix to Stop Clippers

The Clippers’ Darius Miles had the basketball late in the fourth quarter and stared down Indiana’s Jonathan Bender. With one quick crossover dribble and two big steps, Miles lost Bender on his way to the basket and finished with a power dunk.

Ten years from now, Miles and Bender may get together and talk about that highlight play among others made in the Pacers’ 89-74 victory Monday night . . . and they still won’t be in their thirtysomething years.

In today’s NBA, where the players keep getting younger and younger, the Clippers and Pacers are the two leading teams in this latest youth movement. The Clippers have five players 21 or younger on their roster. The Pacers have three.

But that doesn’t mean they are taking the same approach.

That was evident before 17,497 at Conseco Fieldhouse on Monday when the Pacers’ mix of youth and veterans defeated the Clippers’ for the second time in a week.

“What’s important to understand is that their guys are all support players and our young players are all the key players for us,” said Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry, whose team dropped to 0-3 on its current four-game trip. “They can put Al Harrington out there for 10 minutes and not touch the basketball. That’s not the case with [Lamar Odom], Darius, Keyon [Dooling], [Corey Maggette] and Quentin [Richardson].

“The only young guy they really count on is Jermaine O’Neal and he’s been in the league five years.”

Unlike the Clippers, Indiana expects to make a run for a playoff spot this season and that’s mostly because the Pacers have a strong core of experienced players on which to rely.

Jalen Rose, who had 20 points and seven rebounds against the Clippers, is still around, and so is Reggie Miller, who had a quiet night with 11 points and five rebounds. Throw in crafty veterans like Sam Perkins and Derrick McKey, and it’s easy to see the difference between the Pacers and the Clippers.

“We’re definitely in a situation where we are learning on the job,” said Richardson, who had five points and eight rebounds on Monday. “I think both situations can be good. [Second-year man] Jonathan Bender may not have been ready to play right away when he first came out like Darius. But, who knows what he would have done if he was in a situation we are in now.”

Indiana first-year Coach Isiah Thomas gave his young players plenty of minutes when the season began, even starting Bender and Harrington several times. But that has stopped.

Against the Clippers, Indiana started Rose, Miller, O’Neal, Perkins and McKey, who combine for 57 seasons of NBA experience. The Clippers’ opening lineup consisted of Jeff McInnis, Michael Olowokandi, Miles, Richardson and Odom, who combined (11 seasons) have not played as long as Perkins (17 seasons).

“For us, we need to have young guys like me, Keyon and Darius to play well in order to win,” Richardson said. “When we play well, that makes it that much easier for the rest of the team.”

On Monday, Odom and Miles did their part. Odom bounced back from a poor game at Atlanta on Saturday with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Miles had his fifth double-double of the season with 19 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

It was a different story for the rest of the Clippers, who have lost three in a row and nine of 12.

“We didn’t shoot very well and if you shoot [36.5%], you’ll have a tough time winning,” Gentry said. “I thought the Pacers didn’t shoot exceptionally well but their second-chance points is what hurt us.”

The Clippers not only shot poorly, but were outrebounded, 52-43. And of the Pacers’ rebounds, 17 came on the offensive end, which led to 17 second-chance points. The Clippers also made only one of 10 three-point attempts.