SPORTSTICKER NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAM REPORTS FOR FRIDAY, MAY 21 The Hawks are in an 0-2 hole as they travel to New York for Games Three and Four of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Knicks. ... G Mookie Blaylock scored 17 points, G Ed Gray added 13 and F Chris Crawford only 10 after a sterling 26-point effort in Game One. ... F Steve Smith managed only nine points as the Hawks shot 38 percent. "There's only one way (to go) -- up," Smith said after misfiring on 16 of 18 shots. "We can shoot better than this. You have to let it go and know it's a seven-game series and look at the tape and see what you did wrong. Both teams played defense. You see the score, it's pretty much a Knicks-Atlanta game. Unfortunately for us, they played a little bit better." ... The Hawks have never advanced to the conference finals and are 0-14 when facing an 0-2 deficit in the playoffs. INDIANA PACERS -------------- The Pacers again built a big lead and held on for an 85-82 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, taking a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinals series. ... Indiana has won 12 straight home postseason games under coach Larry Bird. ... G Reggie Miller did not attempt a free throw, the first time he did not go to the line in a playoff game since Game Seven of the Eastern Conference finals against Orlando in 1995. ... C Rik Smits scored 25 points after totaling 34 in the first four playoff games. ... Indiana's 39.5 percent shooting was its lowest mark of the postseason. ... G Mark Jackson handed out 14 assists, his third postseason game of 10 or more and his best of the 1999 playoffs. ... Indiana is the only unbeaten team in the playoffs and its five straight wins are a team mark. * NEW YORK KNICKS --------------- G Latrell Sprewell came off the bench to score 31 points for a second straight night as the Knicks took a strangelhold of their best-of-seven semifinal series with Atlanta. Sprewell's scoring mate from Game One, G Allan Houston, did not experience the same level of success. Houston, who had 34 points in the series opener, was limited to two points on 1-of-8 shooting on Thursday but did help limit Hawks' sharpshooter Steve Smith to nine points on 2-of-16 shooting. "We got a win, that's all that matters," Houston added. "I wasn't hitting shots so I was doing whatever I could to do something out there." ... New York is 18-2 in series when they win the first two games. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS ------------------ For the second straight game, the 76ers fell behind early and battled back but came up short, losing 85-82 to the Indiana Pacers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday. ... Philadelphia has lost 11 straight games at Indiana and 19 of the last 22 meetings with the Pacers. ... The Sixers held a 15-2 edge in fast-break points, not allowing the Pacers a transition basket until the game's last minute. ... G Allen Iverson shot just 7-of-28 from the field and scored 23 points. After a first half in which he shot 1-of-12 and scored four points, Iverson scored 13 in the fourth quarter. ... F Theo Ratliff had his first career playoff double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. ... Philadelphia is 2-of-17 from 3-point range in the series.  