By DAN GELSTON, Associated Press Writer
November 29, 2002
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Don Nelson looked at the big picture after the Dallas Mavericks' first loss in 15 games this season.
``We were playing at a real high level, and I expect the high level to continue,'' Nelson said after the Mavericks fell one victory shy of matching the best start in NBA history.
Jermaine O'Neal had 28 points and 18 rebounds, and Al Harrington added 21 as Indiana kept the Mavericks out of the NBA record books with a 110-98 victory Thursday night.
``I think all it really means is we were really ready coming out of training camp, our schedule was in our favor, and we were playing really well,'' Nelson said.
The Pacers prevented Dallas (14-1) from matching the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and 1993-94 Houston Rockets for the best start in NBA history at 15-0.
``We had to make a point,'' Harrington said. ``It was a great incentive with them being undefeated. They had a little swagger in them, but we knocked it off.''
In the only other NBA game Thursday night, the Los Angeles Clippers beat New Jersey 126-118 in overtime.
The Pacers, the Eastern Conference leader at 12-2, raced to a 13-point lead. Ron Artest scored Indiana's first 10 points en route to a 20-point night, Harrington made his first seven from the field, and Brad Miller hit his first six.
``Hopefully now everybody will start writing about us,'' Harrington said. ``We want to let the country know we are for real.''
The Mavericks -- using both zone and man defenses -- had no solution for Indiana's inside game. The Pacers stretched the zone, then dumped the ball inside for easy looks. They outrebounded Dallas 54-36 and O'Neal and Miller quieted Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Bradley. Nowitzki scored 17 points on 4-for-20 shooting.
Steve Nash led Dallas with 29 points, and Michael Finley had 16.
Jamaal Tinsley led a clicking Indiana offense with 15 assists, 13 points and seven rebounds. He sank several wide-open jumpers that the Mavericks dared him to take by concentrating on O'Neal and Miller. Tinsley though, sprained his left wrist falling to the floor after grabbing a rebound midway through the fourth period, but finished the game.
``I thought we were very patient, very disciplined in our attack,'' Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said. ``For the most part, we wanted to pound the ball inside. We kept pounding away. We made passes over and around their zone.''
Artest hit a 3-pointer early in the third for a 68-55 lead, and O'Neal closed the quarter with an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Harrington for an 84-69 lead.
Nash had a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth to pull Dallas to 88-80, but Dallas then dropped into a tight 2-3 zone and left Reggie Miller wide open at the 3-point line for a 24-footer that made it 91-80.
Dallas got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Near the end, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban sat behind the bench, looking dejected with the his chin resting in the palm of his hand as the Pacers' fans surrounding him cracked together their version of Thunder-Stix. The streaktruly ended with a thud. Clippers 126, Nets 118, OT
At Los Angeles, -- Andre Miller equaled a career high with 37 points, and Elton Brand made a three-point play to put in overtime to put the Clippers ahead for good.
Miller, who also had a season-high 16 assists, forced the overtime by making a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie it at 111.
Brand, who had 21 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, put the Clippers on top 118-116 with 3:02 left.
Jason Kidd had 35 points, including all seven for the Nets in overtime, along with eight rebounds and eight assists. He made a 3-pointer early in overtime -- the Nets' franchise-record 15th.
Updated on Friday, Nov 29, 2002 1:31 am, EST
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