NBA Game Summary - San Antonio at Indiana

03.23.2005

Indianapolis, IN (Basketball News) - Reggie Miller reached the 25,000 career- point mark, finishing with 21 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 100-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Miller, who entered the game with 24,992 points in his career, scored six of Indiana’s first 12 to get within two of the milestone. He recorded the 25,000th point of his career with two free throws with 2:08 remaining in the first quarter.

Miller, who is retiring after the season, became just the 13th player in league history to reach 25,000 points. The 39-year-old is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers and is one of just six players to log more than 47,000 minutes. He and now retired John Stockton (Utah) are the only players to record 47,000 minutes with one team.

The 6-foot-7 Miller has played for the Pacers since they selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 1987 draft.

Austin Croshere, Anthony Johnson and former Spur Stephen Jackson each scored 18 points and Jeff Foster grabbed 15 rebounds in the victory.

The Spurs continued to struggle without star forward Tim Duncan, who is out with a sprained right ankle. San Antonio fell to 1-4 on the season without Duncan, including an 88-75 loss to New York on Monday.

The Pacers extended their five-point halftime lead to 73-55 midway through the third quarter after back-to-back three-pointers by Johnson. The Spurs used a 10-2 run late in the frame to pull within 10 at 77-67, but James Jones hit a three-pointer just before the buzzer sounded to give Indiana an 80-67 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

The Pacers’ lead grew to 98-79 with 4:19 remaining on a dunk by Johnson, as Indiana remained in control.

San Antonio scored 10 unanswered points to pull within nine at 98-89 after two free throws by Brent Barry, but only 2:16 remained. The Spurs got to within the final score in the closing seconds, but the Pacers’ lead was never seriously threatened.

"That’s a really good team, even without Duncan," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. "Fortunately for us they were missing shots they normally make."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich disagreed. "We have some guys that need to realize that they need to step up their games because we are not that damn good without Tim Duncan."

Miller, who now has 25,013 points, finished 6-of-13 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line...Barry finished with 17 to lead the Spurs...The Pacers outrebounded San Antonio, 44-32...Foster had eight points...San Antonio has lost four straight on the road...Indiana has won eight of its last 10 home games.

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