Magic Works It All Out Shaq, Orlando Get Off To Slow Start Before Rallying To Win Game One Against Pacers

Shaquille O’Neal had five days to kick back, and was still kicking back well into the first quarter.

After falling behind the Indiana Pacers by 18 points, O’Neal and the Orlando Magic remembered they were in the NBA Eastern Conference finals and started playing like it.

O’Neal had the biggest postseason game of his career, scoring 32 points in the final three quarters Tuesday night to help the Magic open the best-ofseven series with a 105-101 victory over Indiana.

After being held without a point in the first quarter, O’Neal immediately went to work, scoring 12 in each of the next two periods. He hit 11 of 16 shots, had 11 rebounds and went 10 of 12 from the foul line.

“I think we got too much rest, riding the Sea-Doos, chilling out, so we came out flat,” O’Neal said. “Once we got our fire, we wore them down.”

Indiana center Rik Smits, who averaged more than 22 points against New York in the conference semifinals, was no match for O’Neal and got into foul trouble early in the third quarter. Smits finished with 17 points, including a 3-pointer - the first of his.

McKey turned the ball over with about 14 seconds left, and Indiana was forced to foul down the stretch. Byron Scott hit a 3-pointer with five-tenths of a second remaining, but it was too late.

“I don’t think we matched their intensity, and we made two many mistakes,” Pacers coach Larry Brown said. “We just turned it over at important times, and they got some offensive rebounds that sealed our fate.”

Even though the Magic were rested and the Pacers were coming off a demanding seven-game series with the Knicks that ended Sunday, Orlando was the team that came out sluggish.

Overcoming the fast start by the team that swept them in the first round of last year’s playoffs, the Magic took the lead for good early in the third quarter and led by as many as 12 points in the fourth. The Pacers got within five midway through the final period, but a flagrant foul by Dale Davis on O’Neal produced four Magic points.

After scoring 20 points in the first half, Reggie Miller had just six in the second half. Scott, who had averaged 4.7 points in the first and second rounds, had 18 off the bench, and McKey added 14.

In the first half, Miller was far too quick for Nick Anderson. But Anderson got more defensive help from his teammates in the second half, and that made a difference.

“They set good screens to get Miller open,” Anderson said. “I had a hard time getting through some of the screens. He got a step or two up on me and got open.”

Anfernee Hardaway had 20 points and 14 assists for the Magic, who will look to extend their lead in Game Two at home Thursday night. Dennis Scott added 19 and Anderson 16, all in the second half.

Indiana led 53-48 at halftime, doing an excellent job on the offensive boards.

But as was the case during the conference semifinals with the Knicks, the Pacers struggled in the third quarter. The Magic outscored the Pacers 17-5 to start the third period, taking a 65-58 lead on Anderson’s 3-pointer with 7:17 left in the quarter.

Smits sat out the final eight minutes of the period after picking up his fourth foul, and Indiana trailed 83-74 entering the final quarter.

Orlando 105, Indiana 101

INDIANA (101)

McKey 6-11 1-2 14, D.Davis 2-5 1-2 5, Smits 6-11 4-5 17, Jackson 3-5 1-4 9, Miller 9-21 6-7 26, Mitchell 0-2 1-2 1, A.Davis 1-4 3-4 5, Ferrell 2-4 0-0 4, Workman 1-3 0-0 2, B.Scott 6-9 3-3 18, Kite 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 36-76 20-29 101.

ORLANDO (105)

D.Scott 7-14 0-0 19, Grant 5-12 5-6 15, O’Neal 11-16 10-12 32, Hardaway 8-14 1-2 20, Anderson 6-11 1-2 16, Rollins 0-0 1-2 1, Turner 0-0 2-2 2, Shaw 0-3 0-0 0, Bowie 0-1 0-0 0, Royal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-71 20-26 105.

Indiana 27 26 21 27 - 101

Orlando 23 25 35 22 - 105

3-Point goals-Indiana 9-16 (B.Scott 3-4, Jackson 2-3, Miller 2-5, Smits 1-1, McKey 1-3), Orlando 11-23 (D.Scott 5-11, Hardaway 3-4, Anderson 3-6, Shaw 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Indiana 49 (D.Davis 8), Orlando 40 (Grant 12). Assists-Indiana 23 (Jackson 6), Orlando 26 (Hardaway 14). Total fouls-Indiana 23, Orlando 23. Flagrant fouls-D.Davis. A-16,010 (16,010).