First Thoughts: Miami 114, Indiana 96
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Let’s take a quick look at how the Indiana Pacers were outclassed 114-96 by the Miami Heat on Sunday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Game 3 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. The Heat lead the series 2-1.
WHY IT HAPPENED: The Pacers allowed their most points ever in the first half of an NBA playoff game and never recovered from the 70-56 deficit staring them at intermission. Miami went away from its elite 3-point attack and instead worked the middle of the floor and the back line on its way to an offensive explosion. The Heat received contributions from a number of sources, and LeBron James didn’t even need to score in the third quarter. Roy Hibbert had 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Pacers and David West added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Yet they struggled defensively early on and Indiana was not equipped to win a shootout. Paul George failed to make an impact, racking up eight assists but scoring just 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting. He only took three shots in the first half and was far too passive for a player with his skill set. All five starters for the Heat played huge and the bench woke up with nice contributions from Chris Andersen, Ray Allen and Shane Battier. The Pacers were never closer than seven in the second half and trailed by as many as 21 in the fourth quarter.
WHAT WE LEARNED: Miami sent a message with this blowout win. The NBA’s best offense worked over the league’s top defense, and the Heat really buckled down defensively in the third quarter to keep the Pacers from getting back into the game. Coach Erik Spoelstra made terrific adjustments that resulted in less of an emphasis on slumping 3-point shooters and more of a tendency to find big men in the midrange and work James from the post, where he abused George. James led the Heat with 22 points and Dwyane Wade played his best game of the series with 18 points and eight assists. Udonis Haslem came out of nowhere to add 17 points and seven rebounds. Chris Bosh scored 17 in just 24 minutes due to foul trouble. George Hill had 19 points for the Pacers, who weren’t nearly as good as they were in the first two games of the series in Miami.
KEY NUMBER: Through three quarters, the Heat had attempted just seven of 60 shots (11.6 percent) from 3-point range. During the season 28.5 percent of Miami’s shots came from behind the arc. Spoelstra’s adjustment worked perfectly as a spaced-out Pacers defense left his team holes to work the middle. James was devastating from the post, as was Haslem spotting up on the baseline.
TURNING POINT: The game got away from the Pacers in the second quarter. Miami started the period with an 8-2 run and scored on eight of nine possessions in the middle of the quarter. A designed play shook Allen, one of the best outside shooters in league history, free for a 3 that gave Miami what was then their largest lead of the night, 14, with 17 seconds left before halftime.
NEXT: After a rest day, the series resumes Tuesday night back here for Game 4. The Pacers pretty much have to take that one to have a legitimate chance to win the series.
