Carlisle Says Pressure Is on Pistons

The pressure is mounting with the Eastern Conference finals between Indiana and Detroit tied at two games each.

Pacer Coach Rick Carlisle insists the heat is on Detroit because the Pistons made two moves -- firing Carlisle for new Coach Larry Brown and trading for Rasheed Wallace -- in an effort to get to the NBA Finals.

“Right now, I don’t feel like the pressure is on us at all,” Carlisle said after practice on Saturday. “Their season rides on them making it to the next step. That’s not a secret out there.”

Brown says the Pacers have everything to lose after winning an NBA-best 61 games during the regular season.

“We’re playing the team with the best record in the league, and we’re supposed to win?” Brown said. “We would have home court if that was the case.”

Thanks to Indiana’s convincing 83-68 win in Detroit on Friday, the Pacers again have home-court advantage, but they will be playing with two starters hobbled by injuries.

All-Star Jermaine O’Neal and point guard Jamaal Tinsley were injured in Game 4 but expect to play in Game 5 tonight.

O’Neal sprained his left knee in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly after jumping for a rebound with Detroit’s Ben Wallace. Tinsley has been slowed by knee, ankle and hamstring injuries to his left leg.