The most painful part of Peja Stojakovic’s absence is having to start – and end – with rookie small forward Danny Granger.
Vince Carter exposed the Pacers’ inexperience in the final minute, first pump-faking reserve Fred Jones to create space for a wide-open jumper, then blasting past Granger on the game-winning drive-by with 28.9 seconds left to secure the 92-86 Meadowlands victory.
Stephen Jackson couldn’t help himself in talking about Granger’s lax D on the penultimate play.
“We knew he was going to shoot it, we didn’t think he’d give it up so easy,” Jackson said. “It was a straight-line drive. We’d rather him shoot a jumper. We didn’t play the proper defense on him. I wish I would’ve gotten him, probably would’ve made it tougher.”
There’s been dissension in the Pacers’ locker room all season, and now it may be coming to a head. Jackson put it out there that perhaps some guys should “suck it up” like himself.
“I’m injured, too,” said Jackson, who has a bad knee. “Thank God I’ve found a way to suck it up. I wouldn’t miss the playoffs for nothing. I don’t know if they are or not. That’s for them to look in the mirror at themselves if they feel they can play and they’re not playing. I’m saying I know I’m hurt but I’m still playing. You can’t expect everything from everybody. It’s unfortunate. God’s punishing us for some reason. We need everybody healthy.”
Physically and mentally, the Pacers are falling apart – now one game away from extinction. With three starters missing, the Pacers couldn’t withstand the Nets and Carter in the end.
Stojakovic missed his third game of the series with knee swelling. Jeff Foster, their best big-man defender, was a late scratch, his back tightening during warm-ups. And Jamaal Tinsley appears done for the year.
“I’ve seen this team wear down mentally for the first time since I’ve been a Pacer,” Jermaine O’Neal said candidly after finishing with a modest 19 points. “When we’ve gone through situations like we’ve gone through, there’s no daylight. We can’t get a break. We feel we get stable, then we lose Peja, then lose Jeff at shootaround.”
On Carter’s wonderful lefty dunk, O’Neal didn’t come close to breaking it up with a hard foul. Foster might have taken Carter’s head off.
“Shot-blocking is timing,” O’Neal said. “Usually a player takes two dribbles. He’s up in the air in one dribble, he’s so athletic.”
O’Neal also said he had four fouls and was perhaps saving them for overtime.