Pacers

The Indiana Pacers, who finished with a rush last season, and the Washington Bullets, who dropped 22 of their last 30 games and missed the playoffs again, took drastically different steps in preparing for tonight's NBA season opener at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.Indiana chose basically to stand pat, and the rebuilding Bullets will feature five new players, including guard Andre Turner, claimed off the waiver wire yesterday after being cut by the Philadelphia 76ers. Free agent Corey Gaines was cut to make room for Turner.

LANDOVER -- It was a season that began with so much promise in November, only to see the team reduced to NBA-wide ridicule in December. But maybe, just maybe, there's something to this Washington Bullets team, after all.Going against an Indiana Pacers team that entered the game just a game out of the lead in the Central Division, the Bullets played perhaps their best fourth quarter of the season in last night's 111-106 win before 13,129 at USAir Arena.It...

LANDOVER -- Washington Bullets forward Tom Gugliotta had a couple of options as he got the ball with time running out and the score tied at 95 in last night's game against the Indiana Pacers. One option was to take a jumper, for which he was wide open; another was to kick the ball to Rex Chapman, who had a hot hand.But then there was that wide-open lane right before his eyes . . ."I was surprised to see the lane that open," Gugliotta said. "It was almost like a dream."So Gugliotta drove the lane, hitting a scooping game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds left that gave the Bullets a 97-95 win over the Pacers before 10,041 at the USAir Arena.

When the regular season began, there were a lot of basketball experts predicting an Orlando Magic-Phoenix Suns final.And why not? The Magic acquired Horace Grant to play alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway. And the Suns picked up Danny Manning in the off-season, an addition that had Kevin Johnson describing his team as one of the "scariest" in basketball.That pick may hold true. But there's a good chance Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller and David Robinson might have something to say about it.Welcome to the NBA playoffs.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Washington Bullets coach Wes Unseld tried three centers against Indiana's Rik Smits. He might as well have inserted himself into the lineup.Smits, the Pacers' 7-foot-4 pivotman, scored 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots last night at Market Square Arena, as Indiana cruised by the Bullets, 116-96.Smits seemed to have his way from the opening tip, scoring eight points on Bullets starter Kevin Duckworth in seven minutes before Duckworth sat down until the final three minutes of the game.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Here are some things that didn't happen last night as the Indiana Pacers opened their NBA Eastern Conference championship series with the Orlando Magic:* Reggie Miller didn't call anyone a choke artist.* He didn't give the choke sign to any of the local celebrities, the selection being rather limited here since neither Hulk Hogan nor Mickey Mouse was in attendance.* He didn't win the game.Miller came out blazing, scoring 17 points in the first quarter as the Pacers grabbed a 23-5 lead before having it cut to 27-23, but then they faded away as the Magic cruised to a 105-101 victory and a 1-0 lead.

NEW YORK -- There was no Michael Jordan to haunt the New York Knicks in Game 5 this time, no blown layup opportunities by Charles Smith in the closing seconds. No, this time the nightmare came courtesy of Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller, who turned out to be Freddie Krueger and Jason all wrapped up into one.Miller put on a spectacular fourth-quarter performance last night, scoring 25 points -- including an NBA-record 5-for-5 from three-point range -- as the Pacers handed the Knicks their first home playoff loss, 93-86, before a stunned sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden.

INDIANAPOLIS -- There is something between the Washington Bullets and Indiana Pacers that four quarters just can't settle.For the second time this season, the Bullets knocked off the Pacers in overtime, 114-112, behind a remarkable second-half performance by Bernard King and dominant rebounding.King scored 27 of his 37 points after halftime and hit two huge baskets in overtime.And the Bullets (8-15) had 24 offensive rebounds and overall held an astonishing 55-34 advantage on the boards.Pervis Ellison, who for the second time in two seasons established a career high in rebounds against the Pacers, this time with 15, was responsible for much of the damage.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers gave the New York Knicks a last-minute chance to steal a victory.The Knicks dropped the ball.With New York trailing by three points, Hubert Davis dropped Patrick Ewing's pass out of bounds with 6.8 seconds left, sending New York to a frustrating 83-77 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals yesterday at Market Square Arena.The Knicks' advantage in the series has disappeared, just as their offense disappeared this weekend. The best-of-seven series is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.

NEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller said he wanted the New York Knicks. Miller, one of the best pure shooting guards in the league, may have gotten a bit more than he bargained for.With John Starks and Hubert Davis hounding him all night, Miller was a nonfactor as the Knicks held off a late rally to defeat the Pacers, 100-89, and take the first game of the Eastern Conference finals. It was only the second time the Knicks have reached the century mark in the playoffs.Miller's line: 14 points on 11 shot attempts -- almost six fewer shots than he has averaged during nine previous playoff games.