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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Jalen Rose rallied the Indiana Pacers.
Reggie Miller put the game away.
|  | | Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal collects the basket and the foul by the Cavaliers' Robert Traylor. |
Rose scored 35 points, Jermaine O'Neal had 16 points and 15
rebounds and Miller added 18 points as the Indiana Pacers snapped a
four-game losing streak with a 99-84 win over the Cleveland
Cavaliers on Friday night.
Rose scored 16 points in the third quarter as the Pacers turned
a two-point deficit into a 14-point lead. When the Cavs started to
chip away at that lead in the fourth, Miller stepped up and hit
three 3-pointers.
"I think that with Jalen and Reggie, they're so good, you take
them for granted. They do so many things right that, when they make
a mistake, it's glaring," Indiana coach Isiah Thomas said.
While Rose and Miller have carried the Pacers for most of the
season, O'Neal is blossoming into a legitimate scoring option. He
reached double-digit scoring for the eighth time in 11 games and
added seven blocks.
"We really need a consistent third guy. Jermaine is really
developing quickly and could very easily become the third force on
our team," Rose said.
O'Neal said his improvement is part of the maturation process
that goes with becoming a starter.
"I understand now what it really, really takes to be a very
good basketball player in the league. In order for my team to be
successful, I can't take nights off. I can't take plays off,"
O'Neal said.
The Pacers led by 14 at the end of the third quarter and had an
83-72 lead early in the fourth.
Miller, who scored only nine points in the first three quarters,
then hit a 3-pointer. Cleveland's Bimbo Coles was hit with a
technical foul after the shot, and Miller sank the free throw for
an 87-72 lead.
The Cavs tried to get back in it with a 9-2 run, but Austin
Croshere's 3-pointer pushed Indiana's lead back to 12 points.
Miller, who needs two more points to pass Walt Bellamy for 21st
place on the NBA's career scoring list, followed with another
3-pointer on the next possession for a 97-82 lead.
"The last seven games, it seems, have been like that. We fall
into a lapse when other teams go on 8-0 or 9-0 runs. We just have
to be able to do something to end those spurts," said Wesley
Person.
The Cavaliers got 15 points and 11 assists from Andre Miller.
Chris Mihm also scored 15 and Clarence Weatherspoon had 13 points
and 10 rebounds as Cleveland lost its seventh straight game.
"It's a loss, but it's a positive one for us," Cleveland coach
Randy Wittman said. "We have to take care of the ball and hit
shots."
The Pacers trailed 55-53 midway through the third, but closed
out the quarter with a 22-10 run. Rose scored 14 points during the
run and made two 3-pointers, including an off-balance one at the
buzzer.
The Pacers trailed by two at the end of the first quarter, but
led 48-42 at the half. O'Neal shot 6-for-9 from the floor for 12
points and had seven rebounds in the second quarter.
"Now he's playing with a motor," Thomas said. "That's nothing
but motor he's playing with. He's getting things done in 29 minutes
it was taking him two games to get."
Game notes
Randy Wittman was told Thursday by Cavs owner Gordon Gund
and general manager Jim Paxson his job is safe for the rest of the
season. ... The Cavs have lost 32 of 39 games. ... The Pacers are
11-10 against the Central Division. ... The Cavs are 8-23 on the
road. Their last road win was Feb. 25 against Detroit. ... The Cavs
were 0-for-6 from 3-point range. ... The Pacers are 17-7 against
teams with sub-.500 records. ...Al Harrington matched a season-high
with seven assists.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
Indiana Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 99
Cleveland 84
Philadelphia 108
Atlanta 103
Boston 104
Washington 72
Miami 86
Minnesota 79
New Jersey 96
New York 83
Detroit 108
Chicago 75
Dallas 102
Golden State 73
Utah 107
Phoenix 95
Toronto 110
Seattle 99
Vancouver 95
Portland 85
San Antonio 93
LA Lakers 89
Sacramento 110
Denver 104
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