INDIANAPOLIS -- As Reggie Miller hit his third 3-pointer in 50 seconds, he backpedaled on defense and stared at Michael Jordan, who was sitting on the baseline.
What Miller couldn't say with words, he said with his eyes: Come out and play.
"I would never say that to the all-time greatest player ... ever," Miller said with a laugh. "But I was thinking it."
The 37-year-old Miller scored 17 of his 25 points in the decisive third quarter, and Ron Artest added 21 as the Indiana Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 100-84 Friday night.
The Pacers, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 13-2, made 35 of 36 free throws and improved to 9-1 at home.
With the Pacers down by six in the third, Miller pump-faked an oncoming Larry Hughes and made a 3-pointer and the free throw to make it 61-59. Miller then hit 3s on the next two possessions for a 65-64 lead.
After the third one, Washington followed with a shot clock violation that sent the first sold out Conseco Fieldhouse crowd of the season into a frenzy.
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| Washington Wizards' Michael Jordan, right, looks for a teammate while being guarded by Indiana Pacers' Ron Artest during the first quarter in Indianapolis, Friday, Nov. 29, 2002. (AP) |
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Then Jordan, who will turn 40 in February and said Thursday there was "zero chance" he will play next season, returned.
He hit a jumper for a 66-65 lead, Miller answered with two free throws and Jordan, who scored 14 points in 30 minutes, hit another 18-footer. But that was Washington's last lead.
"He makes the big shots. He changes the momentum of the game," Jordan said. "They went from eight points down in the third to six points up. It was all from his play."
Artest sank the go-ahead free throws to make it 69-68 and then Miller -- of course -- nailed another 3 as the Pacers ended the third ahead 78-73.
"Someone had to do something," Miller said. "It was my night tonight and things were going for me. I just did enough for us to get back in the game and the young guys took over."
Miller started the season on the injured list with a bone bruise on his right ankle. He was activated Tuesday and had scored only 23 points in two games.
"I'm really tired," Miller said. "My ankle will never be the same until the surgery after the season. Whatever they're getting from me is all from the man upstairs."
After playing 25 minutes Thursday, he received some early rest with a 13-minute first half. He returned energized, and so did the Pacers.
"Reggie just went nuts in the third quarter," Wizards coach Doug Collins said. "That was typical Reggie Miller."
The Pacers struggled in the first half after handing Dallas its first loss of the season Thursday. They lacked energy and had no answer for Washington's Jerry Stackhouse.
Stackhouse scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the half as the Wizards led by as many as 14. The Pacers, though, pulled to 55-47 at halftime.
Stackhouse never regained his stroke and was a non-factor in the second half. He failed to make another field goal and finished with 24 points.
"Last night was a really emotional game," Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal said. "With those type of games you leave a lot out on the court. We were tired at the beginning and then we picked it up."
The Wizards unraveled in the fourth, making only one field goal. Even Jordan was called for traveling. Late in the fourth, Al Harrington's outlet pass led to a layup by Artest. He was fouled by Jordan, and the free throw made it an 89-77 lead.
"On paper we look great," Jordan said. "But right now we're not playing extremely well. Every team goes through something of this nature. The fortunate thing is this is the beginning of the season."
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