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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- George Karl wants the Milwaukee Bucks to get more respect. Mark Jackson showed him how respect is earned.
|  | | Dale Davis goes airborne to score two of his 13 points. |
Jackson's 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds left gave Indiana a 92-90
victory over Milwaukee on Thursday night, the Pacers' fourth
straight win and the Bucks' fourth straight home loss.
Indiana led the entire game until Sam Cassell's driving layup with 1:12 to play gave Milwaukee a 90-89 lead. After the teams exchanged misses, Reggie Miller muscled into the lane and kicked the ball to a wide-open Jackson, who drained the 3-pointer.
"We don't panic," said Jackson, who missed his first seven
shots but hit his last four, including three 3-pointers. "You
can't put us in a situation we haven't seen. ... I like the feeling
of getting on a plane and knowing I hit the shot to win a game."
The Bucks inbounded at midcourt, but Glenn Robinson was called for traveling with 3.3 seconds left. Indiana ran out the clock for
its eighth victory in nine games.
Karl didn't like the traveling call, and he didn't like Miller's aggressive drive into Cassell on the previous play. He also didn't like the 28-20 foul differential or Indiana's 34-20 advantage in free throws.
"I didn't think we got any respect in the last few minutes,"
the Bucks coach said. "We didn't get much respect all night. ...
We probably have to win some playoff games, some playoff series (to
get respect)."
A fan threw a plastic cup full of beer at two officials when the call was made against Robinson, and the game was delayed while the floor was cleaned and the fan ejected.
"That was a first," Miller laughed. "This is the beer capital of the world, right?"
Milwaukee's Bradley Center funk continued as the Bucks' home record fell to 14-11, easily the worst among the NBA's 16 teams with winning overall records. The Bucks lost to Toronto, Portland and New York in a five-day span before the All-Star break.
Not even the loss of center Rik Smits, who was scratched from
the starting lineup because of a sore lower back, could stop the Pacers from beating Milwaukee for the 12th time in 13 meetings. Indiana has roared back from the All-Star break with wins over Central Division foes Toronto and Milwaukee.
"Coming back from the break and playing this well is
surprising," Indiana coach Larry Bird said. "We look like we
haven't missed a beat."
Jackson had 11 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Miller
had 23 points while taunting Bucks fans during the game, and Jalen
Rose added 20.
Austin Croshere replaced Smits in the starting lineup and had 16 points and nine rebounds, while the team made up for Smits'
defensive absence with suffocating defense on the Bucks' Big Three.
Robinson, Ray Allen and Cassell were a combined 22-of-52 from the field, and Milwaukee got just 27 points from the rest of its
roster.
Robinson also thought he was fouled on the Bucks' final possession.
"There was a lot of contact," he said. "It was just a lack of
respect. There were a lot of calls that were missed."
Cassell led the Bucks with 23 points and nine rebounds. Robinson
had 22, including nine in the fourth quarter, but also had four
turnovers and just four rebounds in 39 minutes of play. Allen, who
was limited by foul trouble, added 18 points.
Indiana's lead stretched to 12 points in the third quarter, but the Bucks pulled within 73-71 on Cassell's turnaround jumper with 8:48 to play. With 4:16 left, Ervin Johnson's rebound basket tied the game at 80.
Game notes
The Pacers got hit with a technical foul when they came
back from a second-quarter timeout with six players on the floor, but it took the officials about 15 seconds and Karl's angry prompting before they noticed. "Some guys don't listen," Bird shrugged. ... The officials called 48 fouls, and the NBA's best two free throw-shooting teams were a combined 44-of-54 from the line.
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NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
Milwaukee Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 119
Denver 101
Indiana 92
Milwaukee 90
Chicago 83
Miami 76
Dallas 106
Detroit 97
Utah 119
Sacramento 108
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