Pacers-Heat Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Jan 04 2012 12:46PM

Opponents may have found the Miami Heat's weakness, but the team isn't concerned.

The Heat, though, could have a particularly tough time bouncing back from their first loss if Dwyane Wade is unavailable Wednesday night for a matchup with the visiting Indiana Pacers.

Wade missed Wednesday's shootaround due to a nagging foot injury, and it appears very possible Miami (5-1) will rest him considering this will be the team's fourth game in five nights.

"With D having a foot problem, he has to be cautious about it," LeBron James said. "We'd rather get him as close to 100 percent healthy now than let it linger."

The foot problem originally flared up in a win at Charlotte last Wednesday. Including that game, Wade has averaged just 15.8 points in four contests since getting hurt.

He shot a season-worst 4 of 17 from the field in a 100-92 loss to Atlanta on Monday.

"As much as I want to be out there, my team needs me to be Dwyane Wade and not somebody else on the floor," he said.

Monday's loss saw the Heat leading by 10 early, but they struggled against the Hawks zone defense in the fourth quarter, similar to the way Boston nearly rallied to beat Miami in the second game of the season.

The Heat were outscored 33-21 in the fourth Monday and finished with 10 fast-break points after entering the game averaging 25.4.

"We need to work through it," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Look, we're going to see enough of it that we will have our breakthrough. We hope to have it sooner than later."

James scored 28 points and Chris Bosh added 19 while Wade was held to 12, though he did have 10 assists.

The Pacers (4-1) are off to a quick start as well, but this will be by far their greatest test of the young season. They defeated New Jersey 108-94 on Monday in the second game of a four-game road trip and will close the stretch in Boston on Friday.

Indiana is holding teams to an average of 89.0 points on 40.9 percent shooting while forcing 16.6 turnovers per game, but a bigger concern has been the offense.

The Pacers broke out Monday, reaching 100 points for the first time and shooting 52.6 percent after making below 40 percent in each of the previous four games while averaging 91.8 points.

Paul George went 5 of 5 from 3-point range on his way to 21 points, and Danny Granger added 15. Indiana finished with a season-high 26 assists while going 13 of 21 beyond the arc.

"We had a film session this morning and I pointed out that we needed to move the ball around," coach Frank Vogel said. "I told them that we're next to unbeatable when we share the ball, night in and night out. We shot well because we were sharing the ball. When you share the basketball and play for each other instead of yourself, you can be a pretty good team."

Granger is still struggling to find last season's form when he led the team with 20.5 points per game. He was 4 of 14 from the field against the Nets and is shooting 34.1 percent this season.

Granger has shot 30.6 percent in his last six matchups with the Heat.

James has averaged 33.9 points in his last eight games against Indiana with three 40-point performances.

Miami has won six of seven in the series.

Without Wade, Heat rout Pacers 118-83 behind James

Posted Jan 04 2012 11:58PM

MIAMI (AP) The Miami Heat hardly missed Dwyane Wade on Wednesday night. LeBron James had a lot to do with that.

Now, the Heat can only hope both superstars won't be on the bench Thursday in Atlanta.

James had 33 points and 13 assists, Chris Bosh added 22 points and Miami routed the Indiana Pacers 118-83 on Wednesday even without Wade.

James also grabbed eight rebounds and the Heat turned up the defensive intensity minus their All-Star guard. Wade sat out with a sore left foot, and his status for Thursday's game at Atlanta is uncertain.

Wade, a six-time All-Star, injured his foot in the second quarter at Charlotte on Dec. 28. He missed the first 10 minutes of the third period but played regular minutes the rest of the game and in the two that followed. He skipped Wednesday's shootaround, though.

The Heat had a scare late in the third quarter when James went down underneath the basket with a left ankle injury. He also is questionable for Thursday.

"It's been better, but it feels OK right now," James said. "We'll see how I feel in the morning."

James appeared to step on the foot of Indiana's Paul George while attempting a fast-break layup. After staying on the court for a few seconds James got to his feet, prompting applause from the sellout crowd, and resumed breaking down the Pacers.

Still, the Heat could be without two of their three big stars in Atlanta.

"We will have to see," coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked if James would play Thursday. "He has sprained that same ankle every year, he says at least one time a year."

Roy Hibbert had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pacers. Tyler Hansbrough scored 14.

Indiana, a fashionable pick to be one of the surprise teams in the East, had a miserable second quarter, going 1 for 15 from the field and committing 10 turnovers that Miami turned into 10 points.

"Lack of execution, missed open shots and their defense - it was a combination of everything," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "A perfect storm."

Miami took a 62-39 halftime lead thanks to a 25-6 run to close the second quarter.

Indiana's main problem, however, was that it couldn't slow Miami's transition offense. And because the Pacers shot so poorly and committed so many turnovers, all the Heat had to do was grab the ball and start running, and they did it quite successfully.

The Pacers trailed 29-27 after the first quarter. But in the second half, they never got closer than 12 points and the lead eventually ballooned to 36.

Indiana's Danny Granger scored only six points on 2-for-13 shooting. He missed six of his seven shots in the first half and committed three turnovers.

The Pacers ended up shooting 34.8 percent from the field. They committed 23 turnovers that Miami turned into 28 points.

This was Indiana's biggest test of the season after beating Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland and New Jersey.

Notes: Indiana guard Lance Stephenson sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and didn't return. ... Granger hit a 3-pointer and has hit at least one in 22 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NBA. ... Miami, among the NBA's top defensive teams, didn't take a charge against Indiana. The Heat had been averaging 2.3 charges taken per game.

Notebook: Heat 118, Pacers 83

By Shandel Richardson, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday January 4, 2012 11:12PM

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 118-83 Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat improved to 6-1 despite playing without guard Dwyane Wade, who was held out with a left foot contusion. Forward LeBron James led all scorers with 33 points to make up for Wade's absence. James survived a scare when he twisted his left ankle early in the fourth quarter. After lying on the court for a few minutes, he was up and walking and able to remain in the game.

Four of the five Heat starters scored in double-figures, including Chris Bosh with 22 points. Guard James Jones, who replaced Wade in the starting lineup, scored all 14 of his points in the first half.

The Heat were the first team to score 100 points against the Pacers, who entered tied for third in the league in scoring defense (89.0).

QUOTABLE: "He was aggressive and active on both sides of the ball. He had 13 assists, but a lot of defensive plays and the rebounds in traffic really got us out in the open court in the first half. We were able to get a lot of different contributions (from James)."
-- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on James

THE STAT: The Heat held the Pacers starting forwards, Danny Granger and David West, to a combined 15 points on 4-for-19 shooting.

TURNING POINT: The Heat outscored the Pacers 33-12 in the second quarter. The Pacers shot just 1-for-15 from the field. Miami closed the half with a 25-6 run behind its strong defense.

QUOTABLE II: "We just wanted to go out and do our job. We wanted to do a better job defensively. It's about time for us to start sticking more to our principles and holding each other accountable. We just really wanted to focus on that and when we get stops, and just get out in the open court and play the same game we've been playing and not slow down because one guy's (Wade) out."
-- Bosh

HOT: James finished with 33 points on 12-for-21 shooting. It was his fourth game with at least 30 points or more this season. He also had 13 assists and eight rebounds, falling just short of his 33rd career triple-double.

NOT: Granger was a non-factor for Indiana, hitting just two of 13 shots. Granger finished with six points, well below his average of 17.

GOOD MOVE: Resting Wade for the upcoming five-game road trip turned out to be the right move. Replacement James Jones was efficient in relief. Jones made his first four 3-pointers, helping the Heat jump to the big lead. Wade should benefit from the night off with five games in seven days looming.

BAD MOVE: The Pacers' shot selection was very questionable in the decisive second quarter. Give the Heat some of the credit, but Granger took some unforced bad shots. The scoreless possessions led to the Heat taking control.

NOTABLE: Heat swingman Mike Miller was cleared by doctors to return to full-contact practice drills. Miller has been out since undergoing offseason hernia surgery. He could return during the team's five-game road trip. ... Pacers center Greg Foster was active but did not make his season debut. He's still nursing a back injury. ... The Heat are 6-1 for the second time in franchise history. ... Wade (foot) will be a game-time decision Thursday against Atlanta.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Thursday @ Atlanta, Saturday @ New Jersey, Tuesday @ Golden State. For the Pacers, Friday @ Boston, Saturday vs. Charlotte, Monday @ Philadelphia.

• Pacers: --
• Heat: Curry, Miller

• Pacers: West
• Heat: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #30 John Goble, #63 Derek Richardson
• Attendance: 20201
• Duration: 2:22