Spurs Beat Pacers In OT

The San Antonio Spurs shot only 39 percent from the field and trailed by 12 points late in the third period. However, the defending NBA champions still found a way to win.

Jerome Kersey's 14-foot jumper with 7.6 seconds left in overtime put the Spurs ahead for good en route to a 90-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

"Jerome was great tonight and I thought the whole team competed well," said San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "In the first half, we didn't compete. We were acting like someone was supposed to hand us something. We've been playing a lot like that lately. In the second half, we made stops."

Rose, Sam Perkins and Mark Jackson each hit 3-pointers as the Pacers took an 85-82 lead with 1:37 left in overtime.

But San Antonio rallied and took the lead, 86-85, on Kersey's jumper. The Spurs then clinched the victory with three free throws by Mario Elie and one by Terry Porter in the final 7 seconds.

Pacers coach Larry Bird admitted his team made some mistakes toward the end.

"However, for the most part, we played a great game against the world champions," Bird said. "We had a lead late but we could not make it hold up. That is going to happen some nights."

Perkins scored 16 oints for the Pacers, whose three-game winning streak was snapped. Indiana shot only 39 percent from the field.

San Antonio trailed by eight points in the fourth quarter before rallying to take a 67-66 lead on a three-point play by Kersey with 5:21 left.

Indiana answered with a 10-2 run that featured consecutive 3-pointers by Reggie Miller and Perkins. The spurt put the Pacers up 76-69 lead with 3 minutes remaining.

A driving basket by Elie and a 3-pointer by Porter with 50.7 seconds left in regulation cut Indiana's lead to 76-74.

After Robinson made a free throw with 22.4 seconds remaining, Kersey stole a pass by Rose, and Robinson was fouled with 2.2 seconds left by Dale Davis. Robinson then tied the game by making one of two free throws.

Miller missed a 15-foot jumper as time expired, sending the game to overtime. ^Notes: Miller was only 5-of-18 from the field. ... San Antonio has won 17 consecutive regular-season games at the Alamodome over the last two seasons. ... Indiana has lost six of its last seven meetings with San Antonio.

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