The Miami HEAT host the Indiana Pacers Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Get your tickets now! The HEAT defeated the Pacers 95-89 in their last meeting on December 14. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 7:30 PM. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.
1: What went so right, so often in Miami’s dominant win at Atlanta?
Couper Moorhead: Remember when Miami was on a 13-game winning streak and it seemed like they would never miss a three no matter what type of shot they shot? Well, that’s still happening. The HEAT finished 17-of-37 from three and even that doesn’t accurately portray how well they shot considering they were making over half of their shots from deep until the game was out of reach for the Hawks.
Making a ton of threes in one thing, but creating a ton of good opportunities which lead to those threes is far more important. While Atlanta had a look of a team that was coming off a long break, the HEAT never appeared to miss a beat as they attacked the rim and whipped the ball around the court to the tune of 30 assists on 40 made baskets. Miami’s offense might not be the most complicated in the league, but does feature incredibly repeatable actions for the team’s playmakers. The threes are falling now, but those actions have been producing good looks for most of the season.
Joe Beguiristain: Ball movement reigned supreme against the Hawks on Friday night. In all, six guys scored in double-figures for Miami, with Tyler Johnson leading the charge with 23 points. Additionally, the HEAT tallied 30 assists on 40 made field goals and drilled a season-high 17 3-pointers on the evening. While Dion Waiters and James Johnson kept things moving as usual, T. Johnson also created for his teammates quite often throughout the contest. If the combo guard can keep up his strong playmaking ability in these last 24 games of the season, that would be a great addition to his already unique repertoire.
On the flip side of the ball, the HEAT were just as good, as they held the Hawks to just 38 percent shooting on the night. Although Paul Millsap drew a lot of fouls and led Atlanta with 21 points, both J. Johnson and Luke Babbitt made things as tough as possible on him. Not to mention, Miami played very good team defense and held everyone else in check. When the HEAT are firing on all cylinders like they were against the Hawks, they’re very tough to beat.
2: It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Pacers. What did we learn from the first meeting with them?
Couper: Miami’s six-point win, which came on the back of holding the Pacers to a 10-point fourth quarter, was one of the first games on the season in which Erik Spoelstra used James Johnson at center. And the result was opponents being caught off guard and not knowing how to react. First, the Wizards left Jason Smith in too long in the fourth quarter as Johnson led Miami to a lead. Then, against Indiana, Spoelstra sprung Johnson on a second unit that usually relies on the post-play of Al Jefferson, but with Paul George and Thaddeus Young needing a rest before the final minutes, Indiana eventually had to match up small by playing Aaron Brooks at shooting guard.
The Pacers probably won’t be caught off guard again, but it wasn’t just the lineup that threw them for a loop, it was when Spoelstra chose to use the lineup. Waiting until George and Young had to rest messed with the Pacers rotation – and it’s certainly a move Spoelstra could use again Saturday night.
Joe: The Pacers definitely had some trouble keeping Hassan Whiteside at bay in that last meeting, as the big fella had a 20-20 game against Indiana on December 14. With Myles Turner giving up a little over 20 pounds to Whiteside, perhaps that is a matchup Miami can take advantage of once again.
Otherwise in that last matchup, we continued to see the sharp play of Johnson and Johnson off the bench. While Coup already discussed J. Johnson’s impact at the five, the 30-year-old's presence on the defensive end cannot be overstated. J. Johnson defended multiple guys on December 14, including Turner, Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young. What’s more, he forced a miss from Turner on a three-point attempt that could have tied the game with less than 25 seconds remaining. That kind of versatility from J. Johnson is nothing new, but it never gets old.
3: What will be Miami’s best option for combating Paul George?
Couper: While Justise Winslow is Miami’s most natural option for defender a premier wing like George and most of the HEAT’s other guards like the size to contest George’s shooting, none of Miami’s players are lacking for competitive instinct and they can all be relied on to make life difficult for their marks whenever possible. Even if George gets off to a hot start and the itch comes to send extra help, Miami’s defense has been so good at compacting the paint and staying home on shooters, it’s probably for the best to stay in single coverage, put in the fight before the catch and keep George shooting over the top.
Joe: Let’s start off by saying that Paul George is one of the toughest players to stop in the league. When he gets hot from deep, it could very well be all over for the opposition. In terms of how to guard him, I agree with Coup and think that the HEAT’s best approach is to match up one-on-one with the talented forward. Whether it’s Rodney McGruder, Josh Richardson, T. Johnson or Waiters, Miami definitely has enough capable defenders to at least make the four-time All-Star work for his looks. In particular, those guys will have to limit George from mid-range, which is where the 26-year-old has done the bulk of his damage this season (153-of-343, 44.6 percent).
Highlights:
Game Notes:
- The HEAT have won 15 of 17 and are 26-32.
- The Pacers have dropped six of seven and are 30-28 on the season.
- Miami has scored at least 100 points in 15 straight games, which is a franchise record.
- Paul George leads Indiana in scoring at 22.0 points per game.
Efficiencies (Rank):
- HEAT Offense: 103.4 (24)
- HEAT Defense: 104.1 (6)
- Pacers Offense: 105.6 (14)
- Pacers Defense: 106.3 (20)