<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The shorthanded Indiana Pacers host the Boston Celtics at Conseco Fieldhouse on Tuesday. Indiana will be playing its second game since Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson were suspended by the league for their part in a violent brawl win fans during a contest against the Detroit Pistons Friday. With three players already on the injured list and both Jonathan Bender and Scot Pollard ailing, the Pacers used just six players in an 86-83 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday. Making just his third start of the season, Fred Jones scored a career-high 31 points while playing all 48 minutes. Rookie David Harrison had 19 points and eight rebounds and James Jones added 12 and 12 for the Pacers, who only had one regular starter - Austin Croshere - available. Indiana has posted a 4-1 record in its last five games against Boston, including a 100-94 victory November 5. Without Artest, however, the Pacers likely will have trouble containing Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce. Pierce, who is averaging 23 points per game this season, has a history of struggling against Artest and was limited to a season-low 15 points by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year earlier this month. Boston bounced back from consecutive losses with a 102-83 triumph Sunday over the streaking Seattle SuperSonics, who had won their previous nine games. Ricky Davis was 10-of-14 from the floor and scored a season-high 25 points as the Celtics shot 57 percent (37-of-65). Pierce had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Gary Payton and Jiri Welsch each scored 12 for Boston, which had six players score in double figures. </div> Link This could be a trap game. Boston has to go into this as if Artest and O'Neal were still playing. We can't go in there and think it's going to be easy. As long as they do that, which I think they will have no problem with, they will win. I'll take the Celtics by 12.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 44Thrilla:</div><div class="quote_post"> This could be a trap game. Boston has to go into this as if Artest and O'Neal were still playing. We can't go in there and think it's going to be easy.</div> Exactly right, Thrilla. The Pacers know that the entire NBA is looking to see how they respond. Doc needs to remind everyone, especially the young guys, that this Pacers team is still full of professionals who will be looking to prove that they aren't finished just because of what happened. The C's should go into this looking to jump out to a large early lead and then keep the pressure on. We'll have 12 healthy bodies to their 8 or so, so I say that we run them until they just can't keep up anymore.
Pathetic game all around, no rebounding, and way too many threes taken. Seemed more like an OB game. But rebounding was by far the most pathetic part of this game, where were Perkins and Jefferson? The backcourt and small forwards outrebounded the frontcourt 20 to 13.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BC:</div><div class="quote_post">Pathetic game all around, no rebounding, and way too many threes taken. Seemed more like an OB game. But rebounding was by far the most pathetic part of this game, where were Perkins and Jefferson? The backcourt and small forwards outrebounded the frontcourt 20 to 13.</div> Thankfully, it ws the front end of back to back nights so that they don't have 3 days to let the sting wear off. Your right, it was so frustrating to watch. They essentially had two guys willing to rebound, Harrison and Pollard, and Indiana was only willing to play them one at a time so that they wouldn't get worn down. Yet, Doc reacted by going small to match up with them. I thought they should have pounded the ball inside to Blount and gotten those 2 in foul trouble, or at least try to wear them out. I can't stand it when the Celtics react to what a team does instead of making them react to the C's. The game is about creating and taking advantage of mismatches, not about trying to match up personel. The only positive about last night is that it (hopefully) ticked the team off enough that they'll take it out on Philly tonight.
