How the mighty have fallen.

The Indiana Pacers, the team who were atop the East only last week, lost their sixth game in succession after a Reggie Miller gamewinning three point attempt at the buzzer hit nothing but air.

"You've got to be able to accept failure," said Miller. "I haven't made every big shot in my life.

"The good thing about it is there will be another opportunity in another game. The ball always ends up my way anyway, so the next time there could be a different outcome."

The losses haven't meant much to the Pacers in terms of how far they have fallen, sitting just half a game behind New Jersey and Detroit for the Eastern Conference lead, but Philadelphia and Boston have moved within four and 41/2 games of the Pacers, respectively.

"It's a very weird time in the league," Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said. "I don't think I've witnessed a time like this, when you've got three or four of your top teams not playing well."

"You wake up in the morning and you look at the newspaper and you see your name at the top of the standings and you scratch your head and say, 'I can't be too mad at the guys. We weren't picked to be here.' But since you're here, you might as well go and get it."

"Maybe it's the moon or something."