Tough to keep pace

INDIANAPOLIS -- Add point guard Anthony Johnson to the extensive list of injured Pacers.

Johnson's availability for tonight's Game 5 in the best-of-seven first-round series with the Celtics is uncertain and a decision may not come until game time.

''I walked through a few plays, that's about it," Johnson said after yesterday's practice. ''[My left foot] has been sore the past couple of days. I'm going to rest it, get some treatment, and see what is going on [for tonight]. It is really sore. I'll check it out [today] at shootaround [and] get some treatment back at the hotel."

Johnson's problems come with the series deadlocked at two games apiece after Boston inflicted the worst playoff loss in Indiana's NBA history, a 110-79 defeat Saturday. And it comes with the Pacers battling history. Indiana, which set an NBA franchise playoff record by shooting 26.9 percent from the field, has won only two playoff series in eight tries after splitting the first four games.

Both of Boston's victories have been one-sided. The Celtics won Game 1 at home, 102-82, and the Pacers have never won a series (0-13) after losing the opening game.

Also working against Indiana is the fact it no longer has momentum on its side and Antoine Walker will return to bolster the Green's lineup following his one-game suspension.

Johnson was mainly limited to shooting in yesterday's practice and said he was feeling pain and back spasms from a freak injury suffered in the first half Saturday. Johnson was hurt when teammate James Jones was trying to block a shot and his arm came down on Johnson's neck and back. He stayed in the game and finished with 4 points and 7 assists.

If Johnson can't start, Fred Jones will get the nod.

Veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who hasn't played since Feb. 23, was placed on the team's playoff roster but still hasn't received medical clearance. Tinsley has been working more on his conditioning lately, however.

''It has been driving me crazy," Tinsley said of the bruised left foot that has limited him to just 42 minutes since Feb. 2. ''I'm just happy I get a chance to go out and sweat. It has been a long time not being out on the court."

''I've just got to be ready to go out there and perform," said Fred Jones, who has been limited to 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting in the series. ''I haven't been at the top of my game at all during the series. Whatever it takes for me to get a boost, a jump-start to help this team, I'm willing to do."

Jones, a first-round pick out of Oregon in 2002, has not seen significant action at point guard with Indiana.

''I'm kind of playing the point guard role with a two-guard mentality. It is kind of messing me up a little bit. Learning the position, I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable with it," he said.

The 6-foot-2-inch Jones believes his team can win in Boston and return to Indiana with a 3-2 series lead.

''We've got to see the ball [and] go to the hoop early on," he said. ''Everybody sharing the ball, as soon as we get that confidence, we're tough to beat."

James Jones agreed.

''They're just like us, a professional basketball team and your job is to play ball and you have players on your team who belong at this level and can play at this level, and so we have that here. Our guys find a way to step up and we've done it so far this year, and we'll do it again," he said, adding there was no reason to worry about Boston's lopsided victories, which came by a combined 51 points.

''A loss is a loss. It doesn't matter how many you lose by, you lose by 1, you lose by 30, you just have to come back the next game and play hard. Truthfully, it's 2-2," James Jones said. ''What they did in Game 1 is irrelevant right now. Our track record proves that we bounce back from adversity and we'll do it again."