Rick Carlisle Compares Six-Man Pacers Effort to Famous 2004 Game

Rick Carlisle told the six Indiana Pacers who played Monday night about a game he coached in the same building 22 years ago. Indiana lost to the Atlanta Hawks 108-104 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with Onyeka Okongwu's hook shot breaking a two-point game with 10.2 seconds left.

That 2004 game came the night after the Palace brawl, when Carlisle had six players available because of suspensions and injuries against a rested Orlando team. To Carlisle, it was almost identical to Monday's.

"I told them that people are still talking about that game, and they will talk about this game for a long time," Carlisle said. "Because what those six guys did was very inspirational, for one thing."

"For another thing, it just illustrates the power of hard play and the power of hard, unselfish play and putting a real competitive spirit on a game," Carlisle continued. "So I'm very... just very happy for our fans that they got to witness this kind of competition."

The Pacers and Detroit Pistons brawled with fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Nov. 19, 2004. The NBA suspended Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, and Stephen Jackson indefinitely the next day.

Nine players were eventually suspended for a combined 146 games.

Indiana hosted the Orlando Magic that night, Nov. 20, with six players. After David Harrison tied it at 71, Steve Francis and Grant Hill made consecutive baskets, and Orlando won 86-83 without giving the lead back.

Monday's Pacers were on the second night of a back-to-back. Pascal Siakam rested, and Aaron Nesmith, Ivica Zubac, and Andrew Nembhard did not dress.

Five more were inactive: Johnny Furphy, Ben Sheppard, Larry Nance Jr., T.J. McConnell, and Tyrese Haliburton. Carlisle said Kelly Oubre Jr. could not go at the last second because of a bruised knee.

Jarace Walker was on the floor for 44:41. Quenton Jackson played the fewest minutes of the six at 34:30, and Braden Smith, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff, and Kobe Brown each played between 37 and 43.

Huff led Indiana with 22 points. Jackson scored 20, Smith posted 19 points and 10 assists as a starter for the first time, Brown scored 16, Walker 15, and Slawson 12.

There were a lot of heartening things from the game that Carlisle wants carried over. The Pacers are 2-6 after five straight losses.

"This is the culture that I believe we have built here," Carlisle explained. "We have faltered this year at times, but the guys that were watching, I think felt the power of what these six guys did tonight. And going forward, it'll take nothing less than that."

Indiana opened with wins at New Orleans, 123-120, and at Brooklyn, 136-109. It lost at home to the Dallas Mavericks, 121-105, in between.

The current streak began Oct. 26 with a 110-102 loss at Milwaukee. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-109 in Indianapolis two nights later.

Carlisle missed the Oct. 30 game at the Miami Heat, a 145-125 NBA Cup loss. Lead assistant Lloyd Pierce ran the bench that night.

Brooklyn won 98-90 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, a day before the Hawks came in.

Jackson was all over the place for Carlisle. Slawson was flying around.

"Bunch of guys going hard. Bunch of guys going hard," Carlisle said. "Bunch of guys sitting down, putting their bodies on people, showing their hands, making it tough. It didn't look like a bullfight. It didn't look like ole, ole, ole, which we've had too much of this year."

"These guys sat down and got after it," Carlisle noted. "And they've earned more minutes, all of them, at least the consideration for more minutes, for sure, because our whole team needs to take this example to heart."

Atlanta scored 26 points in the paint on 13-of-41 shooting. After halftime, the Hawks went 5-of-23 there.

Indiana blocked 9 shots and had 12 steals. Slawson had 3 of each, and Jackson finished with 4 steals and 2 blocks.

The Hawks made 23 3-pointers on 51 attempts. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 34 and went 9-of-15 from deep.

Indiana committed 14 fouls, and Atlanta went 5-of-8 at the free-throw line.

Indiana's next two games are Wednesday at the Memphis Grizzlies, at 8 p.m. ET, and Saturday at home against the Denver Nuggets at 5 p.m. ET.