Indiana Pacers NBA

DANNY AINGE- Six members of the 1986 team have either been an assistant coach, head coach or general manager on the NBA level, and Ainge has filled all three roles. Now the former shooting guard serves as the Celtics’ director of basketball operations. At the tender age of 47 he already has two grandchildren.

LARRY BIRD - Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist and the man who took the Indiana Pacers further (2000 Finals) than any other coach in their NBA history, president Larry is now the heir apparent to revered Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh.

RICK CARLISLE - A classic example of a role player destined for greater things in a suit, Carlisle quickly rose through the coaching ranks. He was named NBA Coach of the Year as a rookie coach with Detroit in 1999-2000, fired a season later, and signed on with Bird, his old boss. Carlisle’s tenure in Indiana has been marked by success despite every calamity short of bubonic plague.

DENNIS JOHNSON - DJ finally realized his dream of coaching an NBA team under less-than-ideal circumstances, when he succeeded the just-fired Alvin Gentry as interim coach of the Clippers in March 2003. He has since coached two teams in the NBDL and was an assistant coach on the 2005 U.S. team that qualified for the World Championships this summer in Japan. He is still waiting for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame - a situation that Bill Walton calls “a tragedy.”

GREG KITE - The man behind Parish and Walton played the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Celtics prior to a trade to the Clippers during the 1987-88 season. He played for seven teams in 12 seasons, including four in Orlando, where Kite now lives and runs his own securities business.

KEVIN McHALE - Once considered the greatest post scorer in the game, McHale returned to his native Minnesota shortly after retirement to take over basketball operations with the Timberwolves. He oversaw development of one of the game’s biggest stars - Kevin Garnett - but 11 years at the helm may be wearing him down. McHale recently blamed this season’s collapse on himself.

ROBERT PARISH - The Chief, the father of two grown daughters, now has three grandchildren. “It’s nice, because at the end of the day you can give them back to their parents,” he deadpanned. Parish left the Celtics following the 1993-94 season to sign with Charlotte. He holds rank on his former Celtics teammates in terms of championship rings. He grabbed No. 4 as a 43-year-old reserve on the 1996-97 Bulls. Though part of the Celtics’ community relations staff, he’s hoping for an NBA coaching job.

JERRY SICHTING - His 2 1/2-season Celtics stint came in the midst of a 10-year career. After finishing with the Bucks in the spring of 1990, Sichting followed McHale to Minnesota, where he did a little of everything - from assistant coach to scout to television and radio analyst. His tenure ended with the departure of head coach Flip Saunders last spring.

DAVID THIRDKILL - With cold-hearted timing, the Celtics waived the young forward two days before Christmas 1986 to avoid a guarantee clause in his contract. He re-emerged overseas, including the Philippines. The Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, cross-city rivals of the better known Maccabi Tel Aviv, lists Thirdkill as one of the 24 best players in franchise history.

SAM VINCENT - The Celtics’ 1985 first-round pick had an eight-year career - the last three in Orlando - and has since become one of the busiest men in coaching. He guided the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBDL last winter, but on a much larger scale is head coach of Nigeria’s national team, which has qualified for the World Championships this summer in Japan. He had previously coached and developed South Africa’s men’s and women’s national programs.

BILL WALTON - A backup on the ’86 squad, the former Portland great has become one of the most definitive voices in NBA broadcasting. “He’s always getting us together,” said Scott Wedman. “When Kevin (McHale) was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, I had a message on my machine that said, ‘Scott, this is Bill Walton, your former teammate. Your former teammate, Kevin McHale, is going into the Hall of Fame on this date and this time, and I expect you to be there.’ ”

SCOTT WEDMAN - Wedman started planning for his post-basketball career well before he retired in 1987. A series of Kansas City real estate investments has blossomed into a real estate management firm headed by the smooth-shooting forward. He’s also entrenched in the local basketball scene, running a well-known clinic each summer, in addition to several youth club teams. He wouldn’t mind hooking up with an NBDL franchise.

SLY WILLIAMS - He played in six games that season and was waived early - on Dec. 2. The one-time University of Rhode Island star and first-round draft pick of the Knicks never played in the NBA again. He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in New York on a kidnapping charge.

K.C. JONES (head coach) - He finally left coaching in 1992 after two seasons in Seattle. He won 522 games as a coach and compiled a gaudy .674 winning percentage. In addition to his eight titles as a player - won in consecutive years - he won two more as a coach with the 1983-84 and 1985-86 Celtics. He lives in Connecticut, and works in conjunction with the University of Hartford.

CHRIS FORD (assistant) - His no-nonsense approach may have worn thin on some players, but Ford’s five seasons (1990-95) as Celtics head coach equaled the duration of Jones’ tenure. Only Red Auerbach (16 seasons) and Tom Heinsohn (8 1/2) have guided the Green for more campaigns. He also coached the Bucks, Clippers and 76ers. Ford, who has 311 career coaching wins, is now a Sixers scout.

JIMMY RODGERS (assistant) - This longtime assistant was groomed to take over for Jones, but lasted for only two seasons from 1988-90. He took over the Timberwolves for the 1991-92 season, but was fired in January the following season. He now lives in Florida.

The Pacers (13-8) won for the first time since Ron Artest made his public trade request, a request the team says it will try and deliver on, and rebounded from its lowest offensive output of the season on Wednesday against Boston.

Indiana also improved to 8-4 at home, getting 16 points from both Austin Croshere and Stephen Jackson in the victory.

“We’re not worried about where he’s going,” Jackson said of the controversy surrounding Artest.

“He’s not here. We have a job to do.”

Utah (10-13) saw its two-game winning streak snapped, which included a surprising win over Detroit on Monday.

The Pacers shot just 41 percent from the field, but made 28 of 33 free throws and led 38-37 at the half before trailing by one point heading into the fourth quarter.

AdvertisementAdvertisementSarunas Jasikevicius added 11 points for the Pacers.

Mehmet Okur led the Jazz with 19 points and 12 rebounds while Andrei Kirilenko just missed a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Deron Williams added 14 points for Utah, with Jarron Collins chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds.

“This was a winnable ball game on our part,” said Utah coach Jerry Sloan.

In Toronto, Jason Richardson scored 23 points as the Golden State Warriors beat the Raptors 108-98.

Derek Fisher scored 21 points and Baron Davis added 20 points and had 11 assists for the Warriors.

Chris Bosh scored 27 points and Jose Calderon added 15 points and had 11 assists for the Raptors, now 4-19 and 1-11 at home.

In East Rutherford, Vince Carter scored 34 points and had 12 rebounds as the New Jersey Nets beat the Denver Nuggets 115-106 in overtime.

Richard Jefferson added 21 points for the Nets.

Andre Miller scored 22 points and had 13 assists and Carmelo Anthony added 20 points for the Nuggets.

In Philadelphia, Dwyane Wade scored 32 points as the Miami Heat beat the 76ers 112-105.

Shaquille O’Neal added 21 points and had 13 rebounds for the Heat.

Allen Iverson scored 35 points and Chris Webber added 23 points for the 76ers.

In Detroit, Rasheed Wallace scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds as the Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls 110-82.

In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points as the Mavericks beat the Orlando Magic 109-103.

In Baton Rouge, Eddie House scored 26 points as the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Hornets 101-88.

In Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 36 points and Al Harrington added 35 as the Hawks beat the New York Knicks 122-111.

In Boston, Michael Redd and Mo Williams both scored 24 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Celtics 100-96.

In Portland, Rashard Lewis scored 37 points as the Seattle SuperSonics beat the Trail Blazers 111-99.

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 41 points as the Lakers edged the Washington Wizards 97-91.

If the Indiana Pacers do trade Ron Artest, Danny Granger is ready to step up. Jermaine O’Neal scored 31 points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:56 left, and Granger had the best game of his rookie season as the Pacers beat New York 102-96 on Saturday night, handing the Knicks their season-high sixth straight loss. (Related items: Box score | Agent: Artest wants to remain a Pacer)
“I think Danny Granger was the key to our success tonight,” O’Neal said. “When things got tough and we needed big plays, whether offense or defense, he made that play.”

Jamaal Tinsley added 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, who have won four of five overall and snapped a two-game road losing streak.

“We know that right now, from a personnel standpoint, we’re not at our best,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “But there’s a lot you can make up for with a strong collective effort and a strong belief in one other.”

Granger scored a season-high 12 points, all in the second half. He played a season-high 29 minutes, mostly because starting small forward Stephen Jackson sprained his right thumb in the first half and did not play after halftime.

Granger, the 17th pick from New Mexico, could be seeing more minutes if the Pacers honor Artest’s request to be traded. Artest’s agent said Saturday his client now wants to remain in Indiana, but if there is a trade, Granger says he is ready.

“I’m definitely ready for that to happen, ‘cause I always want to play more minutes,” Granger said. “Ron was my mentor, he taught me a lot of things, and I’d love to continue to play with him. But if a trade is going to happen, it gives me an opportunity.”

Indiana’s first-round pick also had three huge blocks in the fourth quarter.

Stephon Marbury scored 25 points for the Knicks but had a costly turnover with 39 seconds left and New York trailing by three. Jamal Crawford added 15 points and Quentin Richardson had 12.

New York led 94-91 when Granger blocked Marbury’s drive for his third block of the period, leading to two free throws by Tinsley with three minutes left. Neither team scored again until O’Neal gave Indiana the lead for good at 95-94 with his dunk after a timeout with 1:50 to play.

Granger also showed he could provide some of the defense the Pacers miss without Artest. He had a block that Tinsley turned into a layup for a three-point lead midway through the quarter, and added another one on Crawford with the game tied at 91 with four minutes to go.

“It was real big,” Tinsley said. “That’s defense, that’s chemistry on the defensive end. One guy blows past you and you know you’ve got a teammate who can step up and help you.”

The Knicks lost their first five games of the season, their first under Larry Brown. They fell to 6-17.

“I never accept losing; it’s killing me,” Brown said. “I feel bad for our fans, I feel bad for our team and ownership for the responsibility they gave me. I asked those guys to do the right thing and they did tonight without exception.”

Leading by one in the second quarter, the Knicks got a spark from rookie David Lee during a 10-2 run that gave them a 46-37 lead with 1:56 remaining in the half. Lee, who had been inactive for the past seven games, came off the bench to score four points during the burst on a follow shot and a dunk.

New York led 48-44 at halftime, one night after giving up 71 points in the first half of a 122-111 loss in Atlanta. The Knicks took a 73-71 lead into the fourth quarter after Maurice Taylor and Crawford closed the third with consecutive three-point plays in the final minute.

Knicks center Eddy Curry missed his second straight game after spraining his left ankle late in Thursday’s practice. Also, rookie guard Nate Robinson was inactive after playing in all 22 games, starting six. Brown said Thursday he never expected Robinson would play much this season.

Notes: Former Pacers star Reggie Miller sat courtside with director and Knicks fan Spike Lee. Miller, who hit plenty of big shots against the Knicks during his career, was booed when he was shown on the overhead scoreboard in the closing minutes. “I tried to get him to suit up,” said Brown, a former Pacers coach. … The Pacers played without guard Fred Jones, who has a left ankle sprain that Carlisle did not think was serious.

Ordinarily, Ron Artest would have been in his element last night with the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden, where he once starred for St. John’s. Maybe that’s what Artest was thinking when he telephoned teammate Stephen Jackson Friday night to say he’d like to rejoin the Pacers.

Since demanding a trade Monday, Artest has been placed on the inactive list and told to stay away from the team while team president Donnie Walsh and general manager Larry Bird pursue a trade.
The Queens native wasn’t at the Garden last night.

“I talked to Ron,” Jackson said. “Ron wants to play basketball. I know, as a friend and a teammate, he wants to play basketball, and he wants to win.”

Asked if that meant Artest wants to play for Indiana, Jackson said, “I think he does. I think he wants to play basketball with us. He loves his teammates. He has no problems with his teammates.”

Unfortunately for Artest, that horse already may have left the barn. Jackson said he would welcome Artest, but forward Jermaine O’Neal has said the Pacers are better off without Artest, who has been a disruptive force in the locker room and was suspended 73 games last season for his role in the Pacers’ brawl with fans in Auburn Hills, Mich. Jackson and O’Neal received shorter suspensions for coming to Artest’s defense.

Walsh was quoted in a published report yesterday saying he is encouraged by all the trade interest in Artest. But Jackson insisted Artest could return to the Pacers’ fold.

“He’s told me personally he doesn’t have any problems with his teammates,” Jackson said. “I talk to him. We have no problems. We’re on the same page.”

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle sounded far less certain about the possibility of a reconciliation. “We built an entire system around Ron and Jermaine O’Neal,” Carlisle said. “I’m disappointed because I’ve been one of his biggest supporters. The situation has gotten to where it is.

“It’s going to be a franchise decision. It’s in the hands of two of the best basketball men there’s ever been in this league, Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh, and I’ll put my faith in their judgment.”

Welcome to indianapacerstix at Blogsome. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

An email has been sent to you giving you details how to login to the administration section. From there you can change the design by clicking on the tab MANAGE and then click on the tab THEMES. If you have any questions ask them in the forum. We are only too willing to help.