A limping Reggie Miller scored 13 of his 28 points in the final 4 1/2 minutes and the Indiana Pacers survived a furious late rally by the Chicago Bulls and climbed back into the Eastern Conference finals with a 107-105 victory in Game Three.
"I stepped on Mike's foot in the middle of the third quarter," Miller said.
Clearly hobbled, Miller nevertheless made three three-pointers, a 20-footer that beat the shot clock and the clinching free throws in the final 4:11. He was the only Pacer to score from the field in the last 6 1/2 minutes.
"It loosened up as the game went on," Miller said. "I knew I couldn't drive, so I basically just played off their mistakes."
Miller made 9-of-15 shots, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Indiana's bench held a 43-25 scoring advantage, including 20-6 over the final 13-plus minutes.
"He said he could go," Pacers coach Larry Bird said. "He put everything on the line and stepped up and hit the big shots."
Michael Jordan scored 30 points and Scottie Pippen added 23 for the Bulls, who suffered their first road loss of the postseason and had a five-game winning streak snapped. Chicago trimmed an eight-point deficit to 103-102 in just over a minute, but Rose and Davis each made a pair of clutch free throws before Miller sealed it.
"He was hurt and I don't know why we didn't go at him," Bulls guard Ron Harper said. "We had a chance in this game and we know we let a golden opportunity slip away."
25 сен 2024
