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No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 5 Philadelphia
| REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS (Series tied 2-2) |
| Date |
Final Score |
| 1/22 at PHI |
Philadelphia 103, Indiana 97 |
| 2/7 at IND |
Indiana 109, Philadelphia 84 |
| 3/26 at IND |
Philadelphia 111, Indiana 101 |
| 4/17 at PHI |
Indiana 92, Philadelphia 90 |
| HEAD COACHES |
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Larry Bird, Indiana
Third year with Pacers, third year overall
Playoff record: 22-12
Best finish: Took Pacers to Eastern Conference finals in 1998 and '99,
but lost to Bulls and Knicks
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Larry Brown, PHI
Third year with Sixers, 17th year overall
Playoff record: 47-48
Best finish: Led Indiana to Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back years (1994 and '95)
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| STARTING FIVE |
| Indiana Pacers |
| Mark Jackson, G |
Doesn't score, but takes care of ball -- 4-to-1 assists-to-turnovers ratio |
| Reggie Miller, G |
Didn't bring it every night against Bucks |
| Jalen Rose, F |
This is his team, much as Reggie doesn't like it |
| Dale Davis, F |
Breakout year led to first All-Star appearance |
| Rik Smits, C |
Big fella talking about retirement after the playoffs
|
| Philadelphia 76ers |
| Allen Iverson, G |
Walking injury report, but refuses to sit out |
| Eric Snow, G |
Injured ankle sidelined him for last two games against Charlotte |
| George Lynch, F |
Gutty guy does all the little things that
Brown loves |
| Tyrone Hill, F |
Sixers' best rebounder, and drills nearly
half his shots |
| Theo Ratliff, C |
One of only four players in the league to
average more than three blocks a game this season
|
| THE BENCH |
| Indiana Pacers |
| Austin Croshere, F |
Stepped into starting lineup when Smits sat out with suspension |
| Travis Best, G |
Pacers will go to him when they need points |
| Sam Perkins, C |
Sleepy-eyed Sam a deadly 3-point shooter |
| Derrick McKey, F |
Probably the best perimeter defender on the team |
| Chris Mullin, G |
Veteran hasn't played much this season, but can still sink the big shot
|
| Philadelphia 76ers |
| Toni Kukoc, F |
Sixers surged after February trade brought
sixth man |
| Matt Geiger, C |
Came on strong in last two games against
the Hornets
|
| Aaron McKie, G |
His 25 points were the difference in the
series-deciding Game 4 against Charlotte
|
| HOW THEY GOT THERE |
| Indiana Pacers |
They made their fans nervous with the drawn-out five-game set with Milwaukee in the opening round, showing their slowness in some brutal stretches. But they avoided becoming the third No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose to a No. 8. And that all is long in the rearview mirror for Bird and his players.
First-round overview
|
| Philadelphia 76ers |
With starting guards Allen Iverson and Eric Snow hobbled
with ankle injuries -- Iverson played through it and Snow missed the final
two games against Charlotte -- the Sixers got help from two other sources.
Aaron McKie stepped in for Snow and averaged 18.5 points and eight assists
in the last two games of the series. And the Sixers' defense contained the
Hornets' rugged frontline and held Charlotte to 88.6 points a game and 42.5
percent field-goal shooting.
First-round overview
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| SERIES OUTLOOK |
| The Sixers have a decisive quickness advantage if Allen Iverson and Eric Snow are anywhere near full speed against the aging Pacers. Indiana has the big advantage in playoff experience and guys like Miller, Jackson and Smits know how to win close games in the closing seconds -- the Game 5 against Milwaukee was the latest drama. If Brown can keep the erratic Sixers from getting rattled in the clutch they have a great chance at knocking off the No. 1 seed. ... The Pacers swept the Sixers in the second round last season.
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| PREDICTION |
Pacers' discipline outweighs Philly's athleticism. Pacers in 6
Prediction by Simon Fishler, SportsLine.com NBA Editor
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