NBA Game Summary - Cleveland at Indiana

02.26.2005

Indianapolis, IN (Basketball News) - Stephen Jackson scored 28 points and Jermaine O’Neal added 20 points and eight boards to lead the Indiana Pacers over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-82, at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Jackson shot 11-of-19 from the field and O’Neal went 8-of-16 for the Pacers, who have won five in a row and eight of their last 10.

Indiana’s bench outscored Cleveland’s reserves 37-18 and sparked an 18-2 second quarter run that put the Pacers up by double-digits. Cleveland never got within 10 points the rest of the way and lost to Indiana for the 10th time in 11 outings.

"I thought our bench was really a key factor tonight," said Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle. "You get 37 points off the bench and all guys played double- figure minutes, it helps the starters.

"This was a very good win," he added. "I was impressed with the way they approached it tonight, very professional. We have to keep working to get better."

LeBron James had 21 points for the Cavs, who lost for the second time in three outings. Zydrunas Ilgauskas tallied 20 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks for Cleveland, which has dropped five in a row and six of seven on the road.

"Our intensity just wasn’t there," said James, who shot just 9-of-25 from the field. "They out-hustled us and got the crowd into the game. On the road, you can’t do that. We have to play better.

"We have a tough stretch coming up," added James. "If we don’t get things right, we can lose four straight."

The game was tied 27-27 at the end of one quarter and Cleveland grabbed a 31-29 lead in the early stage of the second on a James layup. However, that was the last lead for the Cavs.

Fred Jones started an 18-2 burst with a three-pointer and he ended it with a three at the 4:56 mark to give the club a 47-33 advantage. Eddie Gill added seven points during the run, which saw the Cavs record only one bucket over a six-minute span.

The Pacers extended to a 58-41 halftime cushion thanks to a 6-2 surge to end the stanza, which saw Indiana outscore Cleveland 31-14.

Cleveland made it a 58-43 game in the early goings of the third quarter, but an 8-2 run by the Pacers put the game out of reach.

Cleveland only drew within 13 points the rest of the second half.

Ilgauskas has 11 blocks in his last two games...Drew Gooden, who was reportedly almost traded to the New York Knicks on Thursday, had 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting...Anthony Johnson and Austin Croshere had 10 points apiece for the Pacers, who have won five in a row at home versus Cleveland...Overall, Indiana has won six of seven at home.

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