PREVIEW
Jermaine O'Neal didn't choose the timing of his comeback to coincide with Friday night's meeting with the rival Pistons. It just happened to work out that way.
"I'm looking forward to playing against those guys," he said "To tell you the truth, I'm looking forward to playing against anybody, I've been out so long."
O'Neal scored 16 points with six rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench in Wednesday night's 95-85 victory over Chicago. His return gives the Pacers close to a full complement of players. Only Austin Croshere, still recovering from his second concussion of the season, is unavailable. O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley, who also missed a significant chunk of the season, are both working their way back into game shape off the bench for the time being.
"It's essential that we have some time to get him re-integrated into our team," said Coach Rick Carlisle. "There's going to be an adjustment here because we've been running a lot more, we've been doing a lot more movement stuff. We're going to have to continue with that but at times the ball is going to have to go through him inside. With him and J.T. back into it, we're in the process of an adjustment period of sorts. We've got to work through those things and it'll take some games."
Assuming he avoids a setback in his recovery from a torn groin muscle suffered Jan. 24, O'Neal will have 16 more regular-season games, which he believes should be plenty of time to regain his form.
"It's more than enough time," he said. "The funny thing is, the first half I wasn't as tired but I felt rusty. The second half, I was a little bit tired and I started to get a rhythm. I started to feel a little bit how I felt when I left off. That's what it's about right now.
"It's not necessarily about me getting a rhythm. It's about me and my teammates getting a rhythm together and making a run. We feel like we have something special but we have to put in the work to get to that special level."
The Pacers can't allow themselves to believe O'Neal's return will be a panacea for the problems that have plagued them of late. They had lost three of four prior to beating the Bulls. Stephen Jackson, who scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter against Chicago, said the team still has some recovering of its own to do.
"As far as personnel, (the team is whole)," he said, "but as far as playing, we've got a lot of work to do. … Nobody can make excuses now. We have everybody back. It's time to go to work and play like we know how."
TRENDS
The Pacers have shot .256 from the 3-point line in the last eight games and .275 in the last 11. … Indiana is 19-15 against teams with winning records. … The bench has been outscored in three straight games by a margin of 123-77. … Jeff Foster has averaged 10.6 points and 13.0 rebounds (5.7 offensive) in the last seven games. … Danny Granger has averaged 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and .567 shooting in the last six. … David Harrison has gone 11-of-14 from the free-throw line (.786) in the last three and 38-of-61 (.623) in the last 13, raising his season mark to .497. … Jackson has shot .356 overall in the last 11 games and is 7-of-33 from the 3-point line (.212) in the last eight. … Anthony Johnson has averaged 14.2 points and 5.3 assists in his last 19. … Johnson has 25 assists against four turnovers in the last four. … Fred Jones has averaged 3.3 points on .222 shooting in his last seven, going scoreless in the last two in a row. … Tinsley has averaged 9.0 points and 3.4 assists while shooting .446 overall in nine games since returning from an elbow injury.
KEY MATCHUP
Though Detroit has the best starting five in the league, the Pacers should have a much better bench, particularly as long as Tinsley and O'Neal are part of it. Though Jones has slumped badly since injuring his left thumb, with Granger and either Harrison or Pollard in the mix, Indiana's best chance is to use its second unit like a second wave in an effort to overwhelm the thinner Pistons.
INJURIES
Pacers - C Scot Pollard (left foot) is probable; F Austin Croshere (concussion) is out. Pistons - G Tony Delk (hamstring) is probable; C Kelvin Cato (ankle) is out.
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- Concussion
- Ankle
