The Indiana Pacers showed plenty of rust from an 11-day layoff. They still had more than enough energy to beat the weary Miami Heat.
The Pacers bounced back from a sluggish start with a 26-5 run spanning the end of the second and start of the third quarters that propelled them to a 94-81 home victory Thursday night in Game 1 of their second-round East playoff series.
Ron Artest had 25 points and six rebounds for the Pacers, who hadn’t played since wrapping up their first-round sweep of Boston on April 25.
The long break showed early, with the Pacers committing 10 turnovers in the first half and struggling to execute their offense for much of the game.
Just two days removed from finishing a grueling seven-game series against New Orleans, the Heat didn’t have the energy to capitalize.
Miami shot just 38 percent from the field. Rookie Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Stotts reportedly gone
The Atlanta Hawks are prepared to fire head coach Terry Stotts after changing owners and missing the NBA playoffs for the fifth straight season.
Stotts, who has had the job for 1 1/2 years, was informed of the decision Thursday night, and the team will make an official announcement Friday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said. ESPN also had the report.
This season, the Hawks went 28-54. Since replacing Lon Kruger as head coach on Dec. 26, 2002, Stotts was 52-85.
Bucks’ Ford has surgery
Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford had surgery Thursday for the bruised spinal cord that sidelined him for the last two months of the season. Ford should make a full recovery, the Bucks said.
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
#1 MINNESOTA LEADS #4 SACRAMENTO 1-0
Latrell Sprewell’s 5-point effort in opening loss didn’t alarm him. “After 12 years, you’re bound to have nights like that,” said Sprewell, who shot 2-of-14. MVP Kevin Garnett went just 1-for-8 in 2nd half. He had 6 turnovers and seemed tentative. “Be glad he was like that, because the next game he can be the least tentative person there is,” Kings’ Brad Miller said.
#3 SAN ANTONIO LEADS #2 L.A. LAKERS 2-0
Lakers must win 4 of 5 games from a team that’s won 17 straight. The first step is not looking at it that way. “They’re due for a loss,” Laker Rick Fox said. “We are due to play a much better game.” Only 7 NBA teams have rallied from 2-0 deficits to win a best-of-7 series. “We did this last year,” said coach Phil Jackson. His team won 2 straight to get even at 2-2. But Spurs won series in 6.
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
RESULTS
#1 INDIANA LEADS #4 MIAMI 1-0
Miami 81 at Indiana 94
Pacers’ Jamaal Tinsley was 5-for-6 from 3-point range and scored a playoff career-high 17 points in opener. Ron Artest missed Pacers’ morning shootaround because of a migraine but scored 25 points. He received NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award before game. It was Indiana’s 10th straight win over the Heat and 4th this season. Heat’s Lamar Odom left game briefly in 2nd quarter to have 3 stitches put in his chin after a fall under basket.
#3 DETROIT LEADS #2 NEW JERSEY 1-0
Teams haven’t liked waiting for Game 2–4 days after opener. “Days in between are terrible,” Pistons’ Chauncey Billups said. “You just want to play.” Coach Larry Brown said after 3rd straight day of practice, “They’re sick of me.” Nets shot 27.1 pct. Sunday. Richard Jefferson said “History (is) working in our favor . . . It’s nearly impossible to have that kind of futility 2 games in a row.”
Note: San Antonio and Detroit have home-court advantage because of better regular-season records.
