Hawks Thump Sliding Celtics, 93-77

NEW YORK--Mark Jackson returned to his old stomping grounds and was unstoppable in the clutch, scoring half of his season-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 91-86 last night.

Jackson, who was 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final quarter, scored 14 of Indiana's final 17 points to easily surpass his previous season-high of 18.

Rik Smits added 22 points and 11 rebounds and Reggie Miller had 17 points as the Pacers won on the road for the 21st time this season, guaranteeing a winning record away from home for the first time in the franchise's NBA history.

Jackson, a former Knick, also had 11 assists, but they all came in the first three quarters. He was busy in the fourth quarter beating Charlie Ward one-on-one, making his familiar no-backboard layups and sticking a pair of jumpers that twice deflated New York rallies.

Allan Houston scored 31 points, Larry Johnson added 17 and John Starks 16 for the Knicks, who lost for the sixth time in seven games but kept this one close despite a rash of injuries.

Aside from their three players on the injured list, the Knicks were without three others. Chris Mills played only eight minutes before leaving because of a swollen right foot, Brooks Thompson missed his second straight game due to a bulging disc and Chris Childs missed his 11th consecutive game with an ankle bone bruise.