ATLANTA HAWKS 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 grabbed a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with a 97-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Indiana reamined the only unbeaten team in the postseason with its franchise-record sixth straight playoff win and with a win Sunday can become the first team since the 1993 Chicago Bulls to sweep the first two rounds. ... Indiana has won 20 of its last 23 meetings with Philadelphia. ... G Reggie Miller scored 29 points on just 14 shots. He made four 3-pointers and all sveen of his free throws. ... For the second straight game, Indiana's front line took it to Philadelphia's big men. The Pacers held a 49-42 rebounding advantage, with Fs Dale and Antonio Davis combining for 20. ... Indiana held a 19-3 edge in fast-break points. 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 ------------------ The 76ers are in the biggest of playoff holes following their 97-86 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Game Three of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Philadelphia trails 3-0 and no team has ever won a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games. ... G Allen Iverson scored 32 points for his fifth 30-plus postseason game but needed 33 shots to do it. Iverson shot 13-of-33 from the field, including just 2-of-10 from behind the arc. ... C Matt Geiger grabbed zero rebounds in 27 minutes. The Sixers were beaten on the boards, 49-42. ... Philadelphia had a 10-game home winning streak snapped and lost to Indiana for the 20th time in the last 23 meetings. ... In the First Union Center parking lot before the game, 202 people had their heads shaved for free, copying Sixers president Pat Croce, who did it on a bet with GM Billy King. Also, 2,376 people paid $1 each to a swing with a sledge hammer at an AMC Pacer. The money went to Sixers charities. ... Philadelphia's bench managed just six points but did contribute 26 rebounds.  