Posted on Mon, Jan. 03, 2005
Once murky future now clearing up for Pacers
JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - Gutted by injuries and suspensions early in the season, the Indiana Pacers are steadily climbing back into the picture.
The Pacers have won three games in a row since a federal judge's ruling allowed Jermaine O'Neal to return 10 games early from a suspension for fighting with Detroit fans.
O'Neal is back, for good. Stephen Jackson returns at the end of the month and even Jonathan Bender is talking about playing again.
"It was last year's news," O'Neal said of the brawl. "It's a new year and we want to concentrate on some of the better things in life now. It's something that's completely over now. There's nothing that's going to come back on me now that's going to have me out watching my team play."
Despite losing O'Neal, Jackson and Ron Artest to suspensions and numerous other key contributors to injury early this season, the Pacers are 15-13 heading into Tuesday night's game against Milwaukee.
A tough December is behind them, leaving the Pacers just 1 1/2 games back of Cleveland for first place in the Central Division.
"You can't get worse than that seven-game skid," center David Harrison said of the team's losing streak in December. "I hope that never happens again and we hope the worst is behind us. We're a game and a half out of first and we're looking to get some more wins."
Jackson is due back from his 30-game suspension on Jan. 26 and Bender, an extremely gifted but injury prone forward, says he hopes to play on Saturday after spending almost seven weeks on the injured list.
"I made a commitment to myself that on the first of the year, I'm going to go out and play my whole game and forget about everything else," Bender said. "I'm cheating myself if I hold back."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was reluctant to say when Bender would return, given his long history of injury problems.
"I'm not talking about getting Bender back until he's back," Carlisle said. "He's doing a little better, but this has been a long process. I'm optimistic, especially after what I saw today, but until he gets a uniform back on, we're putting the cart before the horse."
Still, Carlisle did say the team seems to be turning the corner. Jeff Foster, Anthony Johnson, Reggie Miller and Austin Croshere have all healed from early season injuries, and the team is starting to more closely resemble the Eastern Conference contender it was a year ago rather than the patchwork group of journeymen and role players that took the floor for most of December.
"In terms of our personnel situation, things are looking up," Carlisle said. "Now that we have Jermaine back, we've gotten some guys back from injury, perhaps we're closer to getting more people back."
"We went through our tough times," guard Fred Jones said. "Every team goes through it. Now it's time to bounce back, play together, learn each other again, and start playing well."
With O'Neal giving the team a dominant low post presence it sorely lacked, Indiana pounded New Orleans at home, then gutted out road wins over Charlotte and New Jersey.
"Now we finally got a rhythm," O'Neal said. "We're not completely there. We're not where we want to be, but we feel like we're at the point where we're starting to play good defense, and that's been the key for us the last two years."
O'Neal said Monday he wants the team to be 10 games over .500 when Jackson returns.
"We want to start separating ourselves in a major, major way from wins and losses," he said. "We're not a .500 team. We don't want to straddle the .500 mark. We want to begin to make our mark, position ourselves for when the playoffs come, we can get some home games."
The schedule certainly doesn't do Indiana any favors. After the Bucks, the Pacers leave on a tough four-game road swing at San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix and Memphis. January also includes home games against Phoenix and Detroit and road trips to Houston and Miami.
"We're looking at one of the most difficult January schedules I've ever seen," Carlisle said. "That's another challenge. We've gotta be guarded in how good we feel about things right now because this schedule coming up is a monster."
Once murky future now clearing up for Pacers
JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - Gutted by injuries and suspensions early in the season, the Indiana Pacers are steadily climbing back into the picture.
The Pacers have won three games in a row since a federal judge's ruling allowed Jermaine O'Neal to return 10 games early from a suspension for fighting with Detroit fans.
O'Neal is back, for good. Stephen Jackson returns at the end of the month and even Jonathan Bender is talking about playing again.
"It was last year's news," O'Neal said of the brawl. "It's a new year and we want to concentrate on some of the better things in life now. It's something that's completely over now. There's nothing that's going to come back on me now that's going to have me out watching my team play."
Despite losing O'Neal, Jackson and Ron Artest to suspensions and numerous other key contributors to injury early this season, the Pacers are 15-13 heading into Tuesday night's game against Milwaukee.
A tough December is behind them, leaving the Pacers just 1 1/2 games back of Cleveland for first place in the Central Division.
"You can't get worse than that seven-game skid," center David Harrison said of the team's losing streak in December. "I hope that never happens again and we hope the worst is behind us. We're a game and a half out of first and we're looking to get some more wins."
Jackson is due back from his 30-game suspension on Jan. 26 and Bender, an extremely gifted but injury prone forward, says he hopes to play on Saturday after spending almost seven weeks on the injured list.
"I made a commitment to myself that on the first of the year, I'm going to go out and play my whole game and forget about everything else," Bender said. "I'm cheating myself if I hold back."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was reluctant to say when Bender would return, given his long history of injury problems.
"I'm not talking about getting Bender back until he's back," Carlisle said. "He's doing a little better, but this has been a long process. I'm optimistic, especially after what I saw today, but until he gets a uniform back on, we're putting the cart before the horse."
Still, Carlisle did say the team seems to be turning the corner. Jeff Foster, Anthony Johnson, Reggie Miller and Austin Croshere have all healed from early season injuries, and the team is starting to more closely resemble the Eastern Conference contender it was a year ago rather than the patchwork group of journeymen and role players that took the floor for most of December.
"In terms of our personnel situation, things are looking up," Carlisle said. "Now that we have Jermaine back, we've gotten some guys back from injury, perhaps we're closer to getting more people back."
"We went through our tough times," guard Fred Jones said. "Every team goes through it. Now it's time to bounce back, play together, learn each other again, and start playing well."
With O'Neal giving the team a dominant low post presence it sorely lacked, Indiana pounded New Orleans at home, then gutted out road wins over Charlotte and New Jersey.
"Now we finally got a rhythm," O'Neal said. "We're not completely there. We're not where we want to be, but we feel like we're at the point where we're starting to play good defense, and that's been the key for us the last two years."
O'Neal said Monday he wants the team to be 10 games over .500 when Jackson returns.
"We want to start separating ourselves in a major, major way from wins and losses," he said. "We're not a .500 team. We don't want to straddle the .500 mark. We want to begin to make our mark, position ourselves for when the playoffs come, we can get some home games."
The schedule certainly doesn't do Indiana any favors. After the Bucks, the Pacers leave on a tough four-game road swing at San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix and Memphis. January also includes home games against Phoenix and Detroit and road trips to Houston and Miami.
"We're looking at one of the most difficult January schedules I've ever seen," Carlisle said. "That's another challenge. We've gotta be guarded in how good we feel about things right now because this schedule coming up is a monster."
Comment