Rose Named Most Improved

Three years after being virtually ignored by his former coach, Jalen Rose received the NBA's Most Improved Player Award on Wednesday.

Rose refused to lose confidence when ex-Indiana Pacers coach Larry Brown kept him on the bench for 14 games during the 1996-97 season.

Given a starting role this season for the first time in four years with the Pacers, Rose became the first player other than Reggie Miller to lead the team in scoring since 1988-89. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged a career-high 18.2 points, 7.1 better than his previous best, as Indiana secured the top regular-season record in the Eastern Conference.

Rose also had career highs in rebounds (4.8), steals (1.05), minutes (37.2), games (80), 3-point field goal percentage (.393) and free-throw percentage (.827).

In balloting by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters, Rose received 32 of 121 votes. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki was second with 25 votes, followed by Detroit's Jerry Stackhouse (19) and Indiana's Austin Croshere (17).

"What a wonderful honor," teammate Mark Jackson said. "He's very deserving of it. A guy that didn't pout and hang his head and stop working on his game when things weren't going his way. He continued to watch, learn, listen."

Jackson credited Rose for persevering when his career hit a rough spot.

"It's a great lesson for the young kids in America today, because when your opportunity comes, are you going to be ready or are you going to be so far with your back up against the wall and upset that it passes you by?" Jackson said. "He was a guy that stepped up and took full advantage."

Team president Donnie Walsh acquired Rose from Denver in a June 1996 trade.

"He came here with an awful lot of talent," Walsh said of Rose, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. "This award is because of the hard work he's put in and the patience.

"We want to keep Jalen here. We'll do what we have to."

Rose had the same thought.

"I'd be lying if I said I want to change uniforms," he said. He credited his teammates for their support. "Those (teammates) are the guys who stuck with me as a player."

Rose's performances have the Pacers believing they can defeat the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals and reach the NBA Finals for the first time.

On Tuesday after a scoreless first half, Rose had 17 second-half points, helping Indiana beat the Knicks 102-88 in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

Rose has scored in double figures in all 12 Indiana playoff games this season. He had a career-high 40 in Game 1 of the conference semifinals against Philadelphia and followed with 30 in Game 2. Rose has a playoff average of 20.3 going into Thursday's game.

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