To Indiana guard Mark Jackson, the challenge facing his Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks in the final game of their best-of-5 NBA playoff series is very simple.
"It's either jubilation or vacation," Jackson said Friday, doing his best Jesse Jackson imitation.The Pacers forced Game 5 with an 83-75 win over Atlanta on Thursday at the Omni. The two teams meet in the deciding game Sunday in Indianapolis, and the winner will play the Orlando Magic in the second round.
The Pacers, playing without All-Star guard Reggie Miller, have battled back from series deficits of 1-0 and 2-1. The Hawks had a chance to put them away Thursday night, but a seven-minute spell in the fourth quarter without a basket allowed the Pacers to see another day.
"There were shots," Atlanta guard Steve Smith said of his team's poor shooting. "We couldn't get 'em to go. We ran into a wall. They played good defense, but we should have scored."
Now they will have to score - and win - at Market Square Arena, a place where they have had troubles. Before beating the Pacers there in Game 1 of the series, the Hawks had lost 10 games on Indiana's home floor.
While he is happy to be playing at home, Pacers coach Larry Brown said that alone will not decide the series.
"We just have to go out and play," he said.
The Pacers have struggled offensively throughout the series and have had to rely on their defense to stay in games. Defense won the game Thursday night, as Indiana held the Hawks to 11 points in the fourth quarter.
While Atlanta suffered through poor shooting, Indiana hasn't been much better. The Pacers have averaged 87 points a game in the series, after scoring 99.3 a game during the regular season.
The Pacers have missed Miller, who has been sidelined since April 13 with an eye socket injury.
Miller, who averaged 21.1 points a game this season, has begun shooting and running light drills with his teammates. That has led to speculation he could dress for Sunday's game.
"I don't foresee that happening," Brown said Friday.