Blazers Fall As Indiana Doubles Up

It was a blowout of historic proportions.

For the first time in the NBA’s 51-year history, one team scored more than twice as many points as the other Friday night as the Indiana Pacers, surprising even themselves, pulled off the feat with the secondmost lopsided victory in NBA history, a 124-59 drubbing of the Portland Trail Blazers at Indianapolis.

“We played well, but I didn’t think we would be capable of holding an NBA team under 60 points, a team with so many offensive weapons,” Reggie Miller said. “We really have to pat each guy on the back for busting their behinds for 48 minutes.”

The Blazers barely surpassed the NBA record low of 57 points and came within three points of matching the worst rout in league history - a 148-80 loss - 68 points - by Miami to Cleveland in 1991.

“It all started with the defense the first half,” Pacers coach Larry Bird said. “I don’t think we’ve played defense any better than that. Tonight we played about as well as we could.”

Previously, the closest a team had come to doubling its opponent’s point total was in 1951 - before the introduction of the 24-second clock - when the Minneapolis Lakers defeated the Milwaukee Hawks 99-51, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Mark Jackson matched his season high with 18 points and seven other Pacers scored in double figures.

It was the Pacers’ 39th victory in 56 games this season, matching last season’s win total.

In other games

At Minneapolis, Shaquille O’Neal scored 35 points and the Los Angeles Lakers held the Minnesota Timberwolves scoreless over the final 2:28 in a 104-91 victory.

Jerome Williams blocked a shot by Shawn Kemp that would have tied the game, and Grant Hill split a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-87 in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Kings coach fined

Sacramento Kings coach Eddie Jordan was fined $5,000 by the NBA on Friday for screaming at the officials following his team’s loss to the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

Seconds after the Kings’ 102-99 loss, Jordan berated referee Leroy Richardson at midcourt, repeatedly pointing a finger in the official’s face.

Richardson had made a questionable foul call against Corliss Williamson after the Kings forward grabbed an offensive rebound with 24 seconds to play and Sacramento trailing by a point.

Jordan walked on the court after that play and was given a technical foul.