2013 Playoffs: Pacers-Heat Game 3 viewer’s guide
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
As if the Indianapolis 500 weren’t enough, the Circle City is treated to an always-pivotal Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. What a sporting day it will be in Indianapolis. The Pacers’ confidence is at an all-time high after their 97-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday that evened the series. Of the 16 playoff entrants, the Pacers are the only team yet to lose a home game (6-0) and have won in their own building this postseason by an average margin of 14 points.
Let’s look ahead to storylines to watch as Game 3 tips off at 8:30 p.m. on Turner Network Television:
History on their side: The Pacers have never lost a Game 3 at home in a 1-1, best-of-seven series. They are 7-0 in such situations. Zeroing in even closer, this series has played out exactly like last year’s matchup with Miami – Heat take Game 1, Pacers rebound with a tight victory in Game 2. Last season the Pacers came home for Game 3 and whipped Miami 94-75. Dwyane Wade managed just five points in that contest and Roy Hibbert went off for 19 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks on a night the Heat started no-name Dexter Pittman at center. Can the Pacers pull off another romp and continue the symmetry? They’ve defeated the Heat pretty easily in both meetings at the fieldhouse this season. Finally, the Pacers are looking to extend an incredible trend — they’ve held a series lead after Game 3 in seven of their last eight playoff series, including seven straight in which they were seeded higher than eighth.
Hibbert’s roll: In an unusual twist, Hibbert found a lot of success Friday diving toward the rim after setting a pick for a smaller Pacers dribbler. Nearly half of his 29 points came as a result of pick-and-roll plays, and Hibbert pranced clear down the lane on some of those, practically completing his lay-in before a defender even moved into the vicinity. Lance Stephenson and Paul George were the key passers in Game 2. Hibbert was not much of a pick-and-roll center in the regular season but all of a sudden looked like Joakim Noah. How much of this was circumstance and how much was a concerted effort on the part of Indiana to use Hibbert in that manner remains to be seen, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will surely find an adjustment to use on Sunday. Pacers guards must be careful to watch for a help defender flashing in front of the passing lane to Hibbert, who’s been terrific offensively in the series.
PG-LBJ duel: As ISL’s Cliff Brunt detailed here, George shapes up as a worthy rival for Heat megastar LeBron James, an unmatched talent in the modern NBA. The two small forwards shared a moment at the end of the third quarter in Game 3 when they slapped hands after trading big plays. For George, the time is now. He brags about the Pacers having a -big five,” a nod to the balance and depth of their starting lineup, while James announced before the series, -We’re not just another team. We’re a great team.” This series is brewing into a back-and-forth battle with George and James as the ringleaders on each side. George followed up a 27-point, five-assist outing in the opener with a 22-point, six-assist line on Friday. James has 66 points and 18 rebounds in two games, flashing his own distribution skills with 10 assists in Game 1. On Sunday, are these two still going at it? James and the Heat do not respect Pacers coach Frank Vogel. They respect the heck out of George, who’s 23 years old and a superb all-around talent. Get your popcorn ready.
Role players playing roles: In the two regular-season wins, Indiana seemed content to let James and Wade score and stay home on all the other guys. In the East finals, Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen have been fine, but Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Udonis Haslem and Norris Cole have been non-factors. As a result, Miami’s 3-point shooting and bench – which figured to be big advantages coming into the series – have not pulled their expected weight. The Pacers have reduced the Heat’s offense to an outfit that leans too heavily on James’ brilliance. They’d like to keep it that way. In Game 3, that means not allowing Miami’s supporting cast to get comfortable or shake loose for easy baskets.
