Bulls Trip Stumbling Pacers

Randy Brown's assignment was to chase Reggie Miller through a maze of screens, hound him, pester him and throw off his shot any way he could.

Mission accomplished.

"I just tried to stay with him and not give him any open looks, just tried to keep the heat on him," Brown said after his defense limited Miller to a season-low six points on 3-of-14 shooting as the Bulls stunned the slumping Indiana Pacers 83-82 Monday night.

"I wanted to see if he could put the ball on the floor. It was one of those nights when his shot didn't fall. I wouldn't allow myself to be picked and I wouldn't allow myself to be stopped."

Elton Brand scored 28 points, Toni Kukoc hit a go-ahead free throw after hitting the floor on a flagrant foul, and Chris Carr, on a second 10-day contract, scored all 15 of his points in the second half as Chicago rallied from 14 behind at the break.

But it was Brown's defense that threw the slumping Pacers they've lost four of five and four straight on the road out of synch.

"They did a good job of forcing us into quick and tough shots," said Miller, long a Bulls nemesis with a history of hitting last-second shots and coming up with big games against Chicago.

"I was a combination of Randy Brown and me not hitting some good looks when I got them," Miller said. "Randy had me catching the ball out farther, which made it harder for me."

The Pacers, despite Miller's woes, still had a shot to win, but Rik Smits' short jumper was way short just before the buzzer.

Jalen Rose led the Pacers with 18 points and Mark Jackson and Sam Perkins had 13 each.

"Their defense took Reggie and Smits out of the game," said Indiana coach Larry Bird.

"We're just playing very complacent," Miller added.

Not the Bulls, who have won 6 of 10 since Kukoc returned from the injured list with back spasms. He missed 24 games.

Kukoc, who had 15 points, hit one of two free throws after a flagrant foul on Dale Davis with 1:59 to play knocked him on his back .

The free throw, just the third in 11 attempts by Kukoc, gave the Bulls an 83-82 lead they didn't surrender.

Jackson missed a driving shot with 39 seconds to go before Kukoc misfired on a jumper with 17 seconds left. The Pacers rebounded and took a timeout with 11.3 seconds remaining.

Miller fumbled a pass, got control and threw the ball to Jackson, who then fed cross court to Smits, whose short jumper in front of Kukoc was a foot short of the rim just before the buzzer.

Carr rebounded to seal the victory.

Carr scored 11 points and the Bulls went on a 29-14 run in the third quarter to wipe out the halftime deficit. Brown's defense on Miller threw the Pacers out of synch, and Indiana made only four of 22 shot in the third period as the Bulls took a 66-65 lead.

Miller managed just two baskets in nine attempts in the first half but the Pacers, behind 53 percent shooting and 12 points from Rose, took a 51-37 lead, despite 18 points from Brand.

The Bulls missed nine of 14 first-half free-throw attempts.

Notes