Croshere had 13 points -- all in the second half -- and nine rebounds off the bench in Indiana's 120-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. He took just three shots from the field, but he took the ball to the basket so successfully that he ended up shooting 12 free throws, making 11.

After the game, Croshere had stark words for the Lakers, who are still one victory away from a championship -- but just two losses away from a disaster.

"We wanted it more than them, simple as that," Croshere said. "There was no way they were going to win tonight."

As he did earlier in the series, Croshere dominated his matchup with Robert Horry, driving past the Los Angeles forward and rebounding over him at will in the second half.

He also played with a swagger, finishing at least two plays with meaningless dunks well after the whistle had blown. He also got in the face of his nemesis in the series, Los Angeles guard Derek Fisher, after a hard foul in the fourth quarter.

Croshere admitted he took special pleasure in humiliating Los Angeles. He was a passionate Lakers fan growing up in Santa Monica, but now he thinks the Pacers have what it takes to celebrate a title in California.

"They had us on the mat, and they let us up tonight," Croshere said. "Our confidence is really going up. We have to realize we're just two games from a championship."