http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051114/SPORTS04/511140434/1088 November 14, 2005 Pacers Notebook Carlisle says team can learn from late loss Pacers lost focus when missing 10 free throws in the final 2 minutes according to coach By Mike Wells [email protected] Sarunas Jasikevicius and Austin Croshere, the team's two best free throw shooters, sat on the bench as the Indiana Pacers were self-destructing from the line in the final two minutes of their 103-102 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle could have put one or both in the game to solve their free throw woes. Carlisle said he didn't make a change Saturday because he thought he had the right players on the court. "You can always second-guess and do things a little differently after the fact ," Carlisle said Sunday. "We may do things differently in the future, but I have a lot of confidence in the five guys that finished the game. All those guys have made big free throws at the end of games in their careers." The Pacers, who led by as many as 20 points, were minutes from picking up their third straight victory when they suddenly forgot how to make free throws. They converted 6-of-16 from the line in the final two minutes. The blame could be spread around because all five players on the court -- Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, Fred Jones and Anthony Johnson -- missed at least one free throw down the stretch. "Two-thirds of our games this season have been one-possession games," Carlisle said. "We won two and we lost two. We're going to be in those situations a lot. Closing out games in the NBA is serious business. You have to have a laser-like focus and not leave anything to chance. We could have done other things defensively, too. It's a situation we're going to have to study and learn from." Bender sits, again Pacers forward Jonathan Bender was supposed to play against the Bucks. Bender, who hadn't played since the Nov. 5 game against Philadelphia, went out to warm up but his left knee was bothering him too much to play. "It's unfortunate because I felt like he was a guy that could have been effective for us," Carlisle said. "It's a tough situation for our team, even tougher for him." Saturday was another case in the saga surrounding Bender's knee, which has hampered his career. Bender's absence affects how Carlisle plans on a game-to- game basis. "In the process of trying to find a consistent rotation, not having him available all the time makes it hard to pencil him as a regular," Carlisle said. "I've tried to have him available as an option when he's available to play. For everything he's been through, he's been as upbeat as possible. No one deserves to go through what he's been through with his injury situation." Jones stepping up Jones had his best game of the season against the Bucks, scoring 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, the first time he shot at least 50 percent from the field. He had 10 points to help the Pacers stay in the game when Milwaukee made a run in the third quarter. "He has stepped it up the last week or so," Carlisle said. "He had some nagging injuries and illness in the preseason. He's been a key guy for us lately because of his defensive ability and he can create at the two-guard position." Jones, who struggled with his shooting during the preseason, will be a restricted free agent after the season. Call Star reporter Mike Wells at (317) 444-6053. Copyright 2005 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved = = = = = 今天沒有時間翻譯了，請有能之士把它帶回家吧！ 希望各位大大在討論版務之餘，也不要忘記這隊一路走來跌跌碰碰，但走終會走到王座的 球隊吧！ --

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