Larry Bird, a former coach of Mark Jackson in Indiana, believes that the point guard is the perfect fit for the Knicks, according to the New York Post.

"I always thought he'd be a good coach, and he helped me out tremendously," Bird said. "When we had the lockout year, he kept guys together. He led the charge. He knew what was going on. He came over to me in the huddle and would tell me what play he thought we could run. Mark will be well-equipped to run an NBA team. I always knew he'd probably be a coach one day. (Walsh) won't be afraid to pull the trigger on a guy with no experience."

Walsh hired Bird to coach the Pacers without previous coaching experience, and he led Indiana to their first NBA Finals in 2000 against the Lakers.

Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal might be a short-term possibility for the Knicks this offseason, according to the New York Post.

Donnie Walsh would prefer that the Knicks became a playoff team while he works on clearing out cap space over the next two years, similar to the quick rebuilding job he did in Indiana after their Finals appearance in 2000.

The Pacers and Larry Bird might be willing to take on some expiring contracts, specifically Stephon Marbury, to cut costs in exchange for O'Neal.

Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday that Herbert Simon, co-owner of the Pacers with his brother Melvin for the past 25 years, will serve as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) effective immediately.

"I am committed to returning this team to its proud winning tradition as well as strengthening the connection of the entire organization to the community," said Simon.

"Indianapolis and Indiana are vitally important to the Simon family and I realize how important the Pacers are to the city and state. I?m passionate to do whatever I can to enhance the franchise on the court and in the community."

As previously announced, Larry Bird is the President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers. It was announced on Wednesday that Jim Morris will assume the role of President of PS&E. Morris will oversee the business operations for the Pacers, Indiana Fever and Conseco Fieldhouse.

"I?ll rely on these two strong leaders on a day-to-day basis," Simon said, adding that both will report directly to him.

Additionally, Rick Fuson has been elevated to Chief Operating Officer of PS&E. "We have a strong management team in place, and we look forward to the future," concluded Simon.

The Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets backed into the playoffs on Monday night when the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors lost. Read about Atlanta and Denver?s clinching and more in the RealGM Daily Rundown for April 14th?s games!

- CLE 91, PHI 90

Devin Brown hit a pair of controversial free throws with one second left on the clock to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a one-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. LeBron James had 27 points and 5 assists, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas contributed 22 points and 7 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who made 48% of their shots but turned the ball over seventeen times. Andre Miller led with 26 points and 6 assists, and Louis Williams scored 21 points off the bench for the Sixers, who went 1-for-8 from behind the three-point line and have fallen to a game behind the Raptors for the East?s sixth seed.

Game FIC Scores
Andre Miller, PHI ? 15.8
Anderson Varejao, CLE ? 14.3
LeBron James, CLE ? 13.8
Louis Williams, PHI ? 13.8

- WSH 117, IND 110

The Washington Wizards played spoiler last night ending the playoff chances of the Indiana Pacers with a big home victory. Roger Mason posted 31 points and 6 rebounds, and Antawn Jamison tallied 12 points and 8 boards for the Wizards, who outrebounded Indiana by twenty-seven and made thirteen three-pointers. Danny Granger led with 36 points and 9 rebounds, and Mike Dunleavy added 26 points and 6 assists in the loss for the Pacers, who couldn?t keep Washington off the glass without Jeff Foster (knee) and have now missed the playoff in consecutive years.

Game FIC Scores
Danny Granger, IND ? 24.0
Roger Mason, WSH ? 21.3
Mike Dunleavy, IND ? 18.3
Darius Songaila, WSH ? 10.3

- TOR 91, MIA 75

The Toronto Raptors used a very strong second half to knock off the Miami Heat on Monday night. Rasho Nesterovic posted 20 points and 7 rebounds, and Anthony Parker added 13 points and 7 boards for the Raptors, who outrebounded Miami by four and scored 23 points off turnovers. Daequan Cook led with 22 points and 6 rebounds, and Chris Quinn contributed 14 points and 6 assists for the Heat, who made 37% of their field goals and attempted just six foul shots. Toronto will finish their season against Chicago on Wednesday.

Game FIC Scores
Rasho Nesterovic, TOR ? 16.8
Jose Calderon, TOR ? 16.5
Daequan Cook, MIA ? 14.8
Chris Bosh, TOR ? 15.3

- BOS 99, NY 93

The Boston Celtics used an eight-point fourth quarter edge to earn their 65th win of the season against the New York Knicks. Rajon Rondo posted 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while Sam Cassell added 22 points and 5 boards off the bench for the Celtics, who played without any of the ?Big Three? but still handed Isiah Thomas a loss in what could have been his final game at Madison Square Garden as New York?s head coach. Zach Randolph notched 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Nate Robinson added 26 points off the bench for the Knicks, who outrebounded Boston by three but shot just 40% from the floor. New York closes out the season against the Pacers in Indiana on Wednesday.

Game FIC Scores
Rajon Rondo, BOS ? 21.9
David Lee, NYK ? 17.8
Glen Davis, BOS ? 13.6
Nate Robinson, NYK ? 11.5

- CHI 151, MIL 135

The Chicago Bulls won a surprisingly high-scoring affair against the Milwaukee Bucks last night. Luol Deng had 32 points and 5 assists, and Chris Duhon added 22 points and 15 dimes off the bench for the Bulls, who shot 67% from the field and outrebounded Milwaukee by nine. Ramon Sessions starred for the Bucks with 20 points, 24 assists, and 8 rebounds while Andrew Bogut tallied 25 points and 8 boards of his own in the loss. Milwaukee hit 57% of their shots but couldn?t stop the scorching Bulls from scoring at will at the Bradley Center.

Game FIC Scores
Ramon Sessions, MIL ? 37.9
Chris Duhon, CHI ? 31.8
Andrew Bogut, MIL ? 21.8
Luol Deng, CHI ? 19.6

- UTA 105, HOU 96

The Utah Jazz used a decisive second quarter run to beat the Houston Rockets on Monday night at the EnergySolutions Arena. Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Deron Williams tallied 17 points and 9 assists for the Jazz, who shot 48% and outrebounded Houston by twelve. Tracy McGrady scored 22 points, and Luis Scola contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who struggled from the field (40%) and got little from the bench (just 23 points). Houston is no longer in the race for the West?s top seed after the loss.

Game FIC Scores
Luis Scola, HOU ? 17.5
Carlos Boozer, UTA ? 14.8
Bobby Jackson, HOU ? 13.9
Deron Williams, UTA ? 12.4

- PHX 122, GSW 116

The Phoenix Suns used an eleven-point edge in the fourth quarter to come-from-behind and end the Golden State Warriors? playoff chances. Shaquille O?Neal posted 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Steve Nash tallied 13 points and 14 assists for the Suns, who hit 52% of their shots and outrebounded Golden State by nine in the victory. Stephen Jackson led with 23 points, and Monta Ellis contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists for the Warriors, who scored 21 points off turnovers and allowed the Nuggets to back into the playoffs with the loss. Baron Davis did not play a single minute in the second half after struggling in the first and second quarters.

Game FIC Scores
Steve Nash, PHX ? 20.3
Amare Stoudemire, PHX ? 19.6
Andris Biedrins, GSW ? 19.0
Monta Ellis, GSW ? 16.3

- SAS 101, SAC 98

The San Antonio Spurs won a hard-fought battle with the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Tony Parker had 32 points and 11 assists, and Tim Duncan posted 19 points and 5 rebounds for the Spurs, who shot 51% from the floor and got very little (9 points) from their bench. John Salmons tallied 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Francisco Garcia contributed 15 points and 6 boards in the loss for the Kings, who were just 2-for-10 from behind the three-point line and missed a pair of long-range bombs that would have sent the game to overtime in the final seconds.

Game FIC Scores
Tony Parker, SAS ? 25.4
John Salmons, SAC ? 22.3
Tim Duncan, SAS ? 15.8
Francisco Garcia, SAC ? 14.0

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their `Reina Value.'
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Indiana Pacers lost a must-win game to the Washington Wizards on Monday night, eliminating them from playoff contention and handing the Atlanta Hawks the eighth seed.

In order to make the playoffs Indiana needed to win their final two games and watch Atlanta lose both of their remaining contests.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 35 points and 9 rebounds, but the loss means that the team will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

The Pacers need to win on Monday night to keep their slim playoff hopes alive and will have to do so without center Jeff Foster, according to the Indianapolis Star.

He injured his knee late in the team's loss to Charlotte on Saturday night when he banged it against the leg of the Bobcats' Matt Carroll.

If the Pacers lose either or their final two games, or the Hawks win either of theirs, Indiana will miss the postseason for the second-straight year.

The Hawks lost to the Celtics on Saturday night, but they maintained their two-game lead over the Pacers for the final playoff spot in the East because of an Indiana loss to Charlotte.

Both teams have two games left on their schedule, with an Atlanta win or Indiana loss clinching a postseason appearance for the Hawks.

The Pacers will battle the Wizards on Monday night as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive. Should the Pacers defeat the Wizards, the Hawks can clinch with a win over the Magic on Tuesday night.

The Pacers did what they had to do in order to improve their playoff chances on Friday night against the 76ers, but Atlanta's victory over New York kept the Hawks' lead at two games for the East's final spot.

Danny Granger led Indiana to an 85-76 win in Philadelphia, while Joe Johnson starred for the Hawks against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

There are just three games left in the regular season, with Indiana holding the tiebreaker having won the season series (2-1).

The Indiana Pacers knocked off the Atlanta Hawks in a crucial game for their playoff hopes on Tuesday night. Mike Dunleavy led with 28 points and 6 rebounds, while Jermaine O?Neal added 10 points, 4 boards and 4 blks in just nineteen minutes for Indiana. Read about the Pacers? big win and more in the RealGM Daily Rundown for April 8th?s games!

- IND 112, ATL 98

The Indiana Pacers won a game that they absolutely had to on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks to keep them alive in the playoff race. Mike Dunleavy had 28 points and 6 rebounds and Ronald Murray contributed 20 points and 10 assists for the Pacers, who hit 51% of their shots and are now two games behind Atlanta for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Joe Johnson tallied 30 points and Josh Smith added 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who struggled from the field but outrebounded Indiana by seven in the loss.

Game FIC Scores
Joe Johnson ATL ? 19.8
Josh Smith, ATL ? 19.0
Flip Murray, IND ? 18.0
Mike Dunleavy, IND ? 16.9

- CHA 121, MIN 119

The Charlotte Bobcats held off a furious charge by the Minnesota Timberwolves last night for a late-season victory. Jason Richardson posted 36 points and 5 rebounds and Raymond Felton added 15 points and 11 assists for the Bobcats, who shot a blistering 62% from the field and attempted nineteen more free throws than Minnesota. Al Jefferson exploded for 40 points and 10 rebounds and Ryan Gomes contributed 24 points for the Wolves, who outrebounded Charlotte by eight and scored 21 points off turnovers.

Game FIC Scores
Al Jefferson, MIN ? 24.6
Jason Richardson, CHA ? 22.3
Matt Carroll, CHA ? 16.8
Randy Foye, MIN ? 15.5

- MIA 95, CHI 88

The Miami Heat recorded a very rare win on Tuesday night over the Chicago Bulls. Ricky Davis led with 16 points and 8 rebounds and Kasib Powell added 18 points and 6 boards off the bench for the Heat, who hit 15-of-18 free throws and used a strong second half to come-from-behind to steal a home win. Luol Deng notched 25 points and Joakim Noah tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who outrebounded Miami by eight but hit just 45% of their shots. Miami is still the worst team in the league, by a handful of games.

Game FIC Scores
Ricky Davis, MIA ? 17.1
Joakim Noah, CHI ? 16.5
Luol Deng, CHI ? 15.8
Mark Blount, MIA ? 12.9

- NYK 98, DET 94

The Pistons outscored the Knicks by fifteen points in the fourth quarter, but New York still held on for the win in Detroit. Wilson Chandler posted 19 points and 9 rebounds and Nate Robinson added 11 points off the bench for the Knicks, who shot 53% on the night but turned the ball over twenty-two times. Tayshaun Prince notched 11 points and 7 rebounds and Amir Johnson contributed 14 points and 9 boards in a reserve role for the Pistons, who shot just 35% from the floor but outrebounded New York by six. Flip Saunders played his starters for only half the game.

Game FIC Scores
Amir Johnson, DET ? 18.5
Wilson Chandler, NYK ? 17.4
Jason Maxiell, DET ? 13.9
Quentin Richardson, NYK ? 11.0

- UTA 77, NOH 66

The Utah Jazz won a low-scoring battle with the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night. Mehmet Okur notched 22 points and 17 rebounds and Paul Millsap added 10 points and 7 boards off the bench for the Jazz, who outrebounded New Orleans by eleven and turned the ball over twenty-two times. David West posted 14 points and 7 rebounds and Peja Stojakovic added 15 points for the Hornets, who hit just 35% of their shots and went 3-for-14 from behind the three-point line. Chris Paul went 2-for-11 from the floor as did rival Deron Williams.

Game FIC Scores
Mehmet Okur, UTA ? 20.5
Andrei Kirilenko, UTA ? 14.5
David West, NOH ? 8.5
Chris Paul, NOH ? 4.5

- BOS 107, MIL 104 (OT)

The Boston Celtics needed overtime to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks last night. Kevin Garnett notched 21 points and James Posey contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Celtics, who held Milwaukee to 40% shooting and tallied just one more rebound in the win. Michael Redd scored 25 points and dished 6 assists and Andrew Bogut added 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks, who scored 32 points off turnovers but committed twenty-three miscues in the overtime loss. Boston?s ?Big Three? played for just half the game, with the bench leading the Celtics to their 62nd win of the season.

Game FIC Scores
Kevin Garnett, BOS ? 19.0
James Posey, BOS ? 14.9
Andrew Bogut, MIL ? 13.9
Michael Redd, MIL ? 13.8

- PHO 127, MEM 113

The Phoenix Suns used a 17-point advantage over the second and third quarters to down the Memphis Grizzles on Tuesday night. Amare Stoudemire posted 28 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and Grant Hill notched 17 points and 7 boards for the Suns, who shot 56% from the field and were without Shaquille O?Neal. Rudy Gay led with 36 points and 8 rebounds and Mike Conley added 19 points, 7 boards and 5 assists for the Grizzles, who hit 55% of their shots but turned the ball over sixteen times at the FedEx Forum. Phoenix went 21-for-21 from the charity stripe and committed just nine miscues.

Game FIC Scores
Amare Stoudemire, PHX ? 28.0
Rudy Gay, MEM ? 25.8
Grant Hill, PHX ? 14.8
Mike Conley, MEM ? 14.1

- DAL 99, SEA 83

The Dallas Mavericks used a strong second half to defeat the Seattle Supersonics last night. Jason Terry posted 22 points and 6 assists and Dirk Nowitzki added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who went 50% from the floor and 14-for-17 from the foul line. Earl Watson contributed 22 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds and Jeff Green added 11 points and 8 boards for the Sonics, who hit just 38% of their shots and went 1-for-7 from behind the three-point line. Jason Kidd had an commendable stat line with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory.

Game FIC Scores
Jason Terry, DAL ? 19.3
Earl Watson, SEA ? 18.9
Erick Dampier, DAL ? 14.8
Kevin Durant, SEA ? 10.9

- POR 112, LAL 103

The Portland Trail Blazers knocked off the playoff-bound Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night thanks to great performances from Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Roy notched 23 points and 12 assists and Aldridge added 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Blazers, who shot 50% from the field and outrebounded L.A. by three. Kobe Bryant had 34 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and Pau Gasol contributed 21 points and 13 boards in the loss for the Lakers, who turned the ball over only eleven times but hit just 44% of their field goal attempts.

Game FIC Scores
Channing Frye, POR ? 22.8
LaMarcus Aldridge, POR ? 19.1
Brandon Roy, POR ? 19.0
Pau Gasol, LAL ? 19.0

- GSW 140, SAC 132

The Golden State Warriors escaped with a victory in a high-scoring affair with the Sacramento Kings last night. Baron Davis had 33 points and 9 assists and Andris Biedrins added 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Warriors, who shot 52% from the field and outrebounded Sacramento by seventeen. Kevin Martin led with 29 points and 7 rebounds and Francisco Garcia tallied 31 points off the bench for the Kings, who also shot 52% but were without Ron Artest and Brad Miller.

Game FIC Scores
Baron Davis, GSW ? 26.0
Andris Biedrins, GSW ? 23.3
Kevin Martin, SAC ? 21.4
Francisco Garcia, SAC ? 19.6

- DEN 117, LAC 99

The Denver Nuggets used a decisive second quarter run to down the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, keeping pace with the victorious Warriors. Carmelo Anthony had 36 points and 5 rebounds and Marcus Camby added 13 points and 18 rebounds for the Nuggets, who shot 51% from the field and outrebounded L.A. by fourteen. Cuttino Mobley starred with 25 points and Elton Brand tallied 17 points and 5 rebounds for the Clippers, who turned the ball over just ten times but were without Corey Maggette and Chris Kaman.

Game FIC Scores
Marcus Camby, DEN ? 21.3
Carmelo Anthony, DEN ? 21.0
Cuttino Mobley, LAC ? 13.0
Elton Brand, LAC ? 11.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their `Reina Value.'
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Jermaine O'Neal doesn't agree with coach Jim O'Brien's insistence on limiting him to twenty minutes a game, according to the Indianapolis Star.

O'Neal, who missed 33 games because of issues with his left knee, was taken out in the final eight minutes against Milwaukee on Friday night despite the game being close.

"That 20 minutes creeps up on you real quick," O'Neal said. "and sometimes it creeps up on you in tough situations in the fourth quarter when another team is making its run and you have a rhythm. . . . I would have campaigned a lot more, but every time we made a basket, it eased me a little bit. I was fully prepared to campaign and say, 'Coach, put me in the game.' "

"I've been told by our medical people that's his limit. He said he felt great. I'm glad he felt great. Maybe we can increase his minutes. When I'm told by our medical people he has 20 minutes, that's what we're going with," O'Brien added.