Nets Take 3-2 Series Lead Over Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are on the brink of elimination.

The shot clock was winding down as New Jersey's Vince Carter palmed the ball with Indiana rookie Danny Granger defending, while the Pacers stood in front of their bench.

Carter blew by Granger with one dribble while Jermaine O'Neal slid over to try to take a charge. The acrobatic Carter, who had five fouls, avoided O'Neal and dunked the ball with his left hand.

The ball hit the net with 28.9 seconds remaining in the game to give the Nets a five-point lead.

Many of the Pacers stood along the sideline in disbelief, knowing they are on the brink of having their season end as early as Thursday. The short-handed Pacers stayed within striking distance, but they had too many breakdowns in their 92-86 loss to the Nets on Tuesday.

The Nets lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Pacers by winning Game 6 at Conseco Fieldhouse on Thursday night.

''Right now, it's win or go home for us,'' O'Neal said. ''We feel like we can win in our building and push it to a one-game series. That's where our mind frame is right now.''

The Pacers might have had a chance to tie the score with a defensive stop on Carter, who finished with 34 points. They were surprised at how badly Granger got beat off the dribble.

''We didn't think Danny was going to give it up that easy,'' Pacers shooting guard Stephen Jackson said.

''It was just a straight line drive and we'd rather him take a jump shot. A situation like that, when he has the ball at the end of the game, you know he's going to shoot it. We just didn't play the proper defense on him. I wish I was guarding him. I probably would have made it a little tougher.''

The Pacers played Tuesday without three key players; Peja Stojakovic, Jeff Foster and Jamaal Tinsley. Now it's a matter of whether the Pacers have anything left to keep their season alive for at least one more game.

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