Hornets Surprise Pacers
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NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 19 (Ticker) -- Jermaine O'Neal's last mistake was one not even Jamaal Tinsley could fix.
O'Neal tipped a missed free throw into his own basket with 3.7 seconds left, as New Orleans completed a 90-87 surprise win over the Indiana Pacers.
O'Neal had 24 points and 11 rebounds but had a bad stretch run, missing three free throws and an open jumper before his accidental clinching basket. Tinsley tried to bail out the Pacers with 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough.
The game was tied, 87-87, when a driving Dan Dickau drew a foul from Tinsley with 5.2 seconds to go. Dickau made the first free throw but missed the second, and O'Neal - trying to fend off Rodney Rogers and gain control of the rebound - tipped it in.
The basket was credited to Rogers, giving the Hornets a 90-87 lead. Indiana's Reggie Miller fired an airball on a 3-pointer, and New Orleans (6-32) escaped with its fourth with in seven games.
The Hornets led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter and still held an 83-77 lead at the 3:20 mark after a jumper by Lee Nailon, who scored 30 points.
O'Neal missed two free throws but was rescued by Tinsley, who had a difficult driving layup and 3-pointer to make it 83-82 with 53 seconds left.
P.J. Brown sank two from the line before O'Neal followed in his own miss and drew a foul with 30 seconds to play. But he missed the free throw, and Brown made two at the other end before Tinsley again covered for O'Neal with another 3-pointer that tied it with 25 seconds remaining.
Dickau scored 17 points and Rogers added 12 for the Hornets, who played their second straight game and 21th this season without injured All-Star guard Baron Davis (ankle). Miller scored 10 points, Jeff Foster grabbed 15 rebounds and Tinsley had nine assists and eight boards for the Pacers, who fell to 7-6 since O'Neal returned from his 15-game suspension.
I was about to ask about that... I didn't know what happened if you accidentaly tipped the ball into the wrong goal.... and who would get the credit... well here they gave it to Rodney..
