The Detroit Pistons are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals,
while Reggie Miller is headed into retirement without ever having won a
championship ring. Richard Hamilton scored 28 points and Chauncey Billups
added 23 as Detroit beat the Indiana Pacers 88-79 Thursday night, winning
their best-of-seven series 4-2. The Pistons will open the conference
finals on Monday at Miami.
It was the final game for Miller, the NBA's 12th-leading career scorer,
who is retiring after 18 years in the league. He broke out of a shooting
slump and led Indiana with 27 points, and his final basket was a 3-pointer
with under 2 minutes left to pull Indiana to 82-79.
Hamilton then hit a basket and Billups added two free throws with 26
seconds left before Miller missed a 3-pointer and left the game to a
prolonged, standing ovation - which the Pistons joined in - as the crowd
chanted "Reg-gie, Reg-gie" with 16 seconds to go.
At the end of the game, the chant changed to "One more year."
Jermaine O'Neal, still bothered by a sore shoulder that sidelined him
late in the regular season, added 22 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.
The Pacers led almost the entire first half and turned back every
Detroit rally until two straight baskets by Hamilton put the Pistons ahead
early in the fourth quarter. The final score marked the Pistons' biggest
lead of the game.
Detroit has won eight consecutive playoff series clinchers over the
last three seasons.
The Pacers, hoping to extend Miller's career at least one more game,
finally found their shooting touch after being blown out the past two
games.
Miller, one of the NBA's great clutch shooters who had been stymied
into 38 percent shooting through the first five games of this series, shot
11-of-16 and made four 3-pointers. Reminiscent of past playoff glory, two of
his 3-pointers came in a span of 39 seconds late in the second quarter
after nine straight points by Billups and a free throw by Hamilton brought
the Pistons within 40-37.
Billups dribbled out of bounds for a turnover, and Miller hit one
3-pointer. Seconds later after Billups missed a 3-point attempt and with
the Indiana crowd already chanting for Miller, he responded with another
3-pointer to put the Pacers up 46-37.
Indiana had a chance to widen the lead after an offensive foul on
Rasheed Wallace, but the Pistons got the ball back when O'Neal missed a
shot and Tayshaun Prince scored just ahead of the halftime buzzer.
Detroit got back into the game with two big runs in the third quarter.
The first time, after a rebound basket by Ben Wallace cut Indiana's
lead to 48-47, O'Neal, Dale Davis and Miller scored consecutive baskets,
and a free throw by Miller on a technical foul against Rasheed Wallace
made it 55-47.
The Pacers still led 59-51 before a basket and free throw by Hamilton
started an 11-2 run, and two more free throws by Hamilton gave the Pistons
their first lead, 62-61. Indiana regained the lead at the end of the
period on a dunk by Foster and opened the fourth quarter with a basket by
O'Neal and 3-pointer by Anthony Johnson.
The Pistons then scored seven straight points to take the lead for
good, denying the Pacers a chance to give Miller a shot at a championship.
Indiana's only trip to the NBA Finals was in 2000, when the Pacers lost to
the Los Angeles Lakers.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-20 11:30
