NBA Game Summary - Portland at Indiana

Indianapolis, IN (Basketball News) - Reggie Miller poured in 36 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 95-87 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Miller, who entered the game averaging just 11.6 points per contest, was 10- of-17 from the field less than a week following news that he will retire at season’s end.

The career Pacer went 4-of-10 on three-pointers, and hit several key shots as Indiana took control of the game in the third quarter. He scored 15 of his 36 in the period.

"We were struggling, and he really lifted us up at several points in the game," said Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "We just rode him."

Miller made eight straight free throws in the final minute of the fourth quarter to help the Pacers maintain the lead. He was eventually removed from the game by Carlisle in the final seconds, giving the Conseco Fieldhouse crowd a chance to serenade him with chants of "Reggie! Reggie!"

"This city has really backed myself and my family," Miller said. "It has been wonderful for me."

Fred Jones and Jeff Foster added 14 points apiece in the win, Indiana’s fifth in seven games, and Jermaine O’Neal scored 10. Foster added 17 rebounds in the win.

Joel Przybilla and Darius Miles scored 18 apiece to lead the Blazers, who have lost four of five. Przybilla also had 17 rebounds.

The Pacers used a 7-0 run in the third quarter to take a 52-44 lead. Miller scored the final five points of the spurt, and later hit a three-pointer that put Indiana in front 65-55 with 3:23 remaining in the period.

"He gave us a big lift tonight," said Jones. "He knew our energy level wasn’t where it needed to be in the first half, and he came out and set the tone in the second half."

Miller went without a field goal for more than eight minutes, though, until his three-pointer midway through the fourth gave the Pacers a 74-70 lead. Those were the first Indiana points of the quarter, and they snapped an 8-0 run by Portland to open the period.

The score was the same when a shoving match between the teams broke out with 4:31 remaining in the game.

Tempers rose following Portland swingman Ruben Patterson’s reaction to a Foster foul beneath the basket, and among those pushing and shoving were O’Neal and Miles.

Referee Bennett Salvatore was knocked down during the ruckus, and was eventually helped to his feet by Carlisle. Calmer heads prevailed — never reaching the fever pitch of Indiana’s brawl in Detroit on November 19 — and the incident ended with O’Neal and Miles shaking hands near midcourt.

The excitement failed to ignite a Portland comeback, and the Pacers extended their lead to double digits again when Foster’s bucket made it 81-71 with 1:57 left.

The Blazers were never closer than six points after that.

The Pacers were outshot by Portland 47 percent to 39 percent in the first half, but still held a 43-40 lead at the intermission.