INDIANAPOLIS – Austin Croshere, secret weapon?
The Pacers are keeping fingers crossed and lips sealed about the possibility of Croshere, their leading scorer with 22 points last night, being the X-factor in the series that Marcus Camby was for the Knicks last year.
Face it, you’ve probably heard the name but really, do you know Croshere’s game? Last night, he gave the Knicks something to think about.
“They should have thought about him beforehand,” said 13-assist teammate Mark Jackson. “There are no secrets … He was no surprise to us. He can shoot the jumper, he can post you, he can face you, he can beat you off the dribble.”
Croshere, who was 4-of-5 on 3-point shots – including a perfect 3-of-3 in the fourth quarter when he shot the Knicks to death – is grateful for the opportunity and his health. In the preceding series against Philadelphia, Croshere sprained his right ankle in Game 2. In Games 3 and 4, he was little more than a spectator. In Games 5 and 6, he was little more than an albatross on the Pacer offense, going 5-of-18.
But last night, all that was in the past. With his right ankle at “90 to 95 percent” (plus, he has plantar fasciaitis in the right foot, making for a swell combo), Croshere was assertive, aggressive and simply good.
“They left me open,” said Croshere, who converted 7-of-10 shots from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line. “Everybody was out there sticking shots. They had to leave somebody open with their double teaming and I was able to knock down shots. Throughout the year, I tried to take advantage of the double-teams and the attention they give to other guys.”
Chances are the Knicks won’t leave him that open again, unless they’re masochists. Figure the Knicks will come back and cut down his opportunities. Jeff Van Gundy tends to notice guys who kick his team’s butt. But Indiana hopes that the Knicks are stifled in a solution, much the way the Pacers never countered Camby a year ago.
“It’s similar in that he was unproven last year and I’m unproven this year,” Croshere said of the comparison with Camby, who had eight rebounds and four points. “It’s my first time through the playoffs. Watching it the last two years created a big desire in me to pull my weight. This is a great opportunity. I was glad I was able to make the most of it.”
But Croshere knows fame is fleeting, especially when your coach is Larry Bird. Croshere hears it from Bird all the time, even on his best days. And never was anything better than last night.
“We work after practice all the time,” said Croshere, a 6-10 forward out of Providence, who played all of one minute in the playoffs last year before becoming a rotation regular this time.
“There’s always a move he wants me to work on. I’m sure he’ll find something negative at practice. That’s just the personality of the relationship we have. I try to feed off it to gain the coach’s respect,” Croshere shrugged. “I know what he’ll say already: I let Camby get too many offensive rebounds. I’m ready for it, though.”