Besides being down 2-1 in the series, Boston may have more trouble ahead if Antoine Walker is suspended for his actions in a fourth-quarter scuffle.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 29, 2005

BY JASON L. YOUNG
Special to the Journal

INDIANAPOLIS -- Antoine Walker gave coach Doc Rivers what he wants -- a little fight. But there may have been some miscommunication along the line.

Walker received technicals for two altercations in the second half, getting tossed with just over four minutes left in Boston's 99-76 loss last night at Indiana.

Both scuffles were with the Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal, but Walker had to be restrained to keep him from attacking referee Bennett Salvatore, who gave him his second technical.

The aggression might have been taking Rivers' plea to his team a bit too literally.

"Our team got their butt kicked," Rivers said. "The team we just played is more physical; they were tougher. They were more mentally tougher. When that happens you lose your cool. I was just trying to get us to have some fight. We've got to have some fight. We haven't had any fight for two games."

Walker showed fight midway in the third quarter when he fouled O'Neal just 10 seconds after Raef LaFrentz had also delivered a hard foul to O'Neal. Walker's hit brought he and O'Neal face-to-face, both head coaches on the floor and a technical foul to Walker and the Pacers' Stephen Jackson.

While the Celtics wilted after that, the Pacers responded. Reggie Miller topped a 15-5 run with a three-point play moments after the altercation and Indiana was never seriously challenged again. Miller finished with a game-high 33 points.

Walker received his second technical with 4:06 left in the fourth quarter. After Walker threw a forearm toward O'Neal, the two players were within inches of each other before they were quickly separated. After Salvatore gave Walker a technical, Walker pushed aside referee Tom Washington in an attempt to get Salvatore.

Walker had little to say about either incident.

"Why do you keep trying to talk about it?" he said to reporters around his locker at Conseco Fieldhouse. "Next question. I don't want to talk about it. I'm not worried about (the ejection or possibility of a suspension). You suspend me if you want to."

Boston had chipped away at a 55-38 halftime deficit with six baskets in the first 5:34 of the third quarter. It held Indiana to two free throws by Anthony Jackson and a 3-pointer by Stephen Jackson on consecutive possessions about two minutes into the third period and pulled to within 61-53.

Eleven seconds after the first altercation, Miller hit a 15-foot jumper and was fouled by Ricky Davis. After Miller converted the free throw, the Pacers led 64-53 and the Celtics never looked in sync again.

Walker had two airballs soon afterwards and Boston missed one short shot after another. Paul Pierce missed a layup. Al Jefferson missed from three feet away, got the ball back after Gary Payton grabbed the rebound, but was blocked by O'Neal.

Pierce led Boston with 19 points to lead three Celtics in double figures. Payton finished with 15 points and Walker had 14.

"We weren't in the game for most of the contest," LaFrentz said. "We were battling back from the first quarter, trying to battle back, trying to get some rhythm. Their defense has been exceptional."

The two teams stayed close throughout the first quarter. The Pacers led from the start and built it to seven points by late in the first quarter.

They pulled away in the second period, taking a 10-point lead when Miller converted a three-point play at 7:36 of the quarter.

Davis' putback on Payton's miss with 3:33 left gave the Celtics their first field goal in nearly five minutes. By that time, they trailed 46-34 and would fall behind by as many as 17 points, which was their deficit at halftime.