European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 1, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pacers even series on kicks gaffes by David Steele new Day Indianapolis a the new York kicks might very Well be the worst shooters the Slop Piest bal handlers the most unstable Road team the most Raggedy excuse for an offensive team Ever to play for v National basketball association championship. If they get that far. Two More games like the one they played monday will Send them Home for Good. The Indiana pacers tied the Eastern conference finals at 2, not because of their defense and definitely not because of their offence but because they  help themselves. The kicks gave them the game from an eyesore of a first Quarter to a three stooges highlight reel of a fourth Quarter. By the time Charles Oakley winged an inbound pass past Patrick Ewing with 4.2 seconds left Tor their 26th and last turnover the kicks looked no More ready to win a title than the Toronto raptors do. The a Nicks 83-77 loss at Market Square Arena probably was worse than the record setting 68-Point debacle of game 3 this time they had a legitimate Chance to win at the end. They led 70-68 with 6 15 left but seven turnovers from that Point on sealed their Fate and sent the series Back to new York for another Pivotal fifth game at Madison Square Garden. The biggest Gaffe the pass that whistled through Hubert Davis hands with 6,8 seconds left and the kicks Down just 80-77, was typical of the Day. Part could be attributed to some Nasty in your Jer Scy defense by the pacers part to the a Nicks usual haphazard offensive execution there were just three seconds left on the shot clock and part to Plain old sloppiness. Ewing had the Ball on the right Side at the three Point line raised the Ball As if to shoot saw Dale Davis charge him threw it to his right and watched his Eye level pass to Davis sail out of Bounds. Asked Why the kicks keep doing this in Road playoff games Davis said a that s a Good question 1 wish 1 could understand. The courts the same 10-foot baskets everything. 1 done to  the kicks ate out of answers. Road games arc still one of the great mysteries of their existence they be Tost six of seven playoff Road games this year and nine of 10 dating to last years East finals. They re 8-0 at Home this year and have won 17 of their last 18 Home playoff games. A we just have to do it the hard Way Quot said Pat Riley referring to the a Nicks increased Reliance on the Garden. If nothing else the kicks proved Riley right when he said they got blown out saturday for a lot More reasons than Ewing scoring one Point. Ewing scored 25 monday hit Al seven free throws had 13 rebounds and managed seven big Points and a steal in the fourth. The rest of the team gave him Little help though. His teammates shot 33 percent and the kicks opened the game by missing 16 of 21 shots. They got nothing from the Small forwards after the first Quarter when Charles Smith scored his Only Basket and Anthony Mason hit his six free throws. Oakley grabbed 15 rebounds but had eight turnovers. The Point guards Derek Harper and Greg Anthony shot 5-for-16 and turned it Over seven times. Davis had two three pointers but was 2-for-8 Overall. The a Nicks 18 three Point tries two Aba Eastern playoffs the stars and stripes ports _ w june 1,1994 coach k at pacer Rik Smidu blocks kicks Patrick Ewing drive attempt in fourth Quarter monday. More than their previous team playoff record illustrated How much they strayed from the patient Pound it inside philosophy they had espoused after game 3. A a we be got to be stronger with the Ball we be got to be smarter with the Bill a Riley said decrying i hair Lack of Quot awareness of How aggressive and physical the pacers Are at Home. Pacer coach Larry Brown credited his teams More aggressive defense for the a Nicks turnovers. Quot we re getting used to the Way the kicks play a he said Quot if you Don t play the Way they play you la get killed. We re pretty physical now and i think our Guys Are to the Point where we wont Back  the pacers did just enough to win their sixth consecutive How playoff game. Reggie Miller went 17 for 19 from the line and scored 31 Points 13 in the fourth Quarter and 12 of the pacers last 15 of the game. They broke open a close game with a 14-4 run to Start the second half giving them a 56-43 Lead that sustained them most of the Way. After Davis three Pointer gave the kicks a 70-6s Lead with 6 15 left the pacers shut them out for the next 3 16 and stopped them without a Basket until John Starks three Pointer with 2 03 left Cut the deficit to 80-75. From then on nothing the pacers did was bad enough that the kicks  top it. Harper lost his dribble against Hay Woode Workman and when Starks dived in and forced a jump Ball the pacers won it. The kicks forced a 24-second violation then saved a Possession when Mason rebounded harpers missed three Pointer a but Ewing threw a pass Over harpers head into the backcourt for another turnover with 35.9 seconds left. Bvron Scott atoned for that by getting his in Bounds pass stolen by Ewing who fed Starks for a Basket that Cut it to three. Derrick Mckey added to the circus by missing two free throws with 26.5 seconds left. Not to be outdone on their next Possession the kicks dribbled and passed fun Riouff around the three Point line unable to get a decent shot against a pacer defense designed to Stop a three Point try. The shot Davis would have had was not a bad one a had he held the Ball. A i done to want to make any excuses Quot he said. Quot the Ball was in my hands it was a great pass from Patrick. It was my  it still Wasny to Over. Workman missed a free throw with 5.2 seconds left keeping the Lead at just 81-77. After a timeout Oakley a inbound pass from mid court was too far for Ewing to catch in the Low left Post. Millers free throws with 1.8 seconds left sealed it. Durham . A Mike Krzyzewski said tuesday he will remain at Duke amid reports he was leaving to coach in the Aba. Krzyzewski said at a news conference that he was Happy at Duke and liked Durham. A a. A it was really a very easy decision be said. A i am not in a career  he coached Duke to two National basketball titles and got the Blue devils into the Mcaa final four seven times in nine years. Krzyzewski last week issued a terse statement confirming that he was exploring other Job offers. #. He refused to identify those teams in tuesdays news conference and said his most recent Cove rations with Aba executives were about possible draft choices from Duke. The coach said he had no talks with Aba commissioner David Stern As had been reported for months and said the last time he Stern was when they played Tennis. Krzyzewski re Krzyzewski Portelly has been upset about the academic difficulties of several players the Herald Sun of Durham reported last week. The newspaper reported that freshman guard Jeff Capel will not play until the end of the fall semester because of academic problems. Krzyzewski had some exposure to the Aba As an assistant coach with dream team that won the menus basketball Gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona olympics. Uno hires eagles new Orleans a the uni verify of new Orleans on tuesday hired Tommy Joe eagles a former coach at Louisiana tech and Auburn As its new head b basketball coach. Eagles replaces Tim Floyd who left for Iowa state on May 5. Uno Chancellor Greg Obrien and athletic director Ron Maestri could not reached to confirm eagles hiring. But the times Picayune reported tuesday that of Brien reached a decision sunday evening and completed details of the $150,000-a-year contract monday. Eagles was forced to resign at the end of last season after Auburn finished 10-16. He did not become a Uno candidate until wednesday. He was 63-77 at Auburn. O 246850 qqq5