INDIANAPOLIS (ESPN.com news services) -- After failing to take advantage of the absence of Patrick Ewing by losing back-to-back games at New York, the Indiana Pacers hope a return to Conseco Fieldhouse is all they need to take the upper hand in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Pacers are counting on the home-court advantage staying true to form for Game 5 against the Knicks with the series tied at two games apiece.

"It needs to be (an advantage) for us because we played awful in New York," Pacers forward Jalen Rose said.

The Knicks evened the series with a 91-89 win on Sunday, but the game was not as close as the final score indicates. New York built a 17-point lead at halftime and held an eight-point advantage with less than a minute remaining.

Larry Johnson, Charlie Ward and Kurt Thomas were the key players for New York in Game 4. Johnson hit 5-of-5 shots from 3-point range and beat Dale Davis with an array of low post moves to finish with 25 points. Ward again soundly outplayed Indiana's Mark Jackson at point guard and had 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and seven assists.

"Larry was very big for us," Ward said. "He stepped up and made the big shots when we needed it."

Thomas played 35 minutes at center in Ewing's absence and posted a career playoff high 16 points and five rebounds and held Indiana's 7-4 center Rik Smits to 13 points.

But instead of showing concern after two losses in New York, Jackson appeared certain the Pacers would regain control of the series at home.

"We don't want to be overconfident because we still have to get the job done, but the bottom line is they have to beat us in our building to move on," Jackson said.

Ewing is bothered by acute peroneal tendinitis in his right foot and is a game-time decision for tonight. He came out for warmups before Game 4, but experienced discomfort in the foot as he practiced some post moves and informed coach Jeff Van Gundy that he was not ready to go.

However, star forward Latrell Sprewell played 44 minutes for New York Monday and finished with 12 points despite suffering a broken bone in his left foot late in Game 3.

Sprewell scored 32 points to lead the Knicks to a 98-95 win in Game 3. But an MRI taken afterwards revealed an incomplete fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his foot.

Knicks reserve forward Marcus Camby played through a sprained right knee suffered in the first half of Game 3. He had five points, nine rebounds and blocked three shots, while limping his way through 18 minutes.

Last season, an Achilles injury suffered in Game 2 of the East finals with the Pacers knocked Ewing out for the rest of the postseason, including the NBA Finals, where the Knicks were beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

Ewing is averaging 14.4 points and 9.5 rebounds in 12 playoff games this year.

Knicks nemesis Reggie Miller led the Pacers in Game 4 with 24 points on 9-of-23 shooting. He is averaging 20.3 points in the series.

Game 6 is Friday at New York.