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Game Preview: Pacers at Heat

Matchup

The Pacers finally broke out of a February malaise, snapping their six-game losing streak in a rout against the Grizzlies on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

But with a tough slate of games and a serious road trip, building on their post-All-Star Break success won't be an easy task.

Indiana (30-28) immediately flies south to take on the resurgent Miami Heat (26-32) on Saturday night, the first leg of a five-game road trip for the Blue & Gold.

The Heat had looked like their season was pretty much done for just weeks ago, until they ripped off an eye-popping 13-game winning streak to leap back into relevancy. Now, with fewer than 30 games remaining in the season, the Heat are just two games back of the East's eighth and final playoff spot.

During Friday's streak-snapping win over the Griz, the Pacers had two surprises in rapid succession.

The first was the absence of Al Jefferson, who was unable to play due to dental pain and was a late scratch.

The second was the performance of Rakeem Christmas in his stead, who got to play meaningful minutes for the first time in his Pacers career.

"We told (Rakeem) to just be ready, we wanted to try to get him in late in the first with that second group," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said after the win. "I thought he came out tonight and did a solid job."

Christmas played 14 minutes and made 2-of-3 shots while collecting five rebounds. One of his scores came in the form of a powerful one-handed slam on a feed from Monta Ellis, sending the bench into a frenzy.

Going forward, finding playing time for Christmas will be difficult in a crowded front court, but during a game in which the Pacers were seeking to avoid their seventh consecutive loss, Christmas' energy gave the team a powerful boost.

Also giving a shot in the arm to the Pacers was Thaddeus Young, whose return from a sprained left wrist was just what the team needed. Young went 5-of-7 from the field, but was still visibly cautious with his wrist, opting for layups instead of his usual forceful dunks.

Surprisingly, the only member of the starting unit to not reach double figures in scoring was Paul George, who finished the night with nine points. Despite not having his shot fall, George got involved in other areas, passing out four assists and snaring nine rebounds in an effective performance.

As the Pacers look to put their recent losing streak in the rearview, a strong start to their five-game road trip would be a step in the right direction. But with a Miami Heat team charging for a spot in the playoffs, Indiana will have its hands full in the Sunshine State on Saturday night.

Projected Starters

Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague

Paul George

Paul George

C.J. Miles

C.J. Miles

Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young

Myles Turner

Myles Turner

Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic

Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters

Rodney McGruder

Rodney McGruder

Luke Babbitt

Luke Babbitt

Hassan Whiteside

Hassan Whiteside

Pacers: PG - Jeff Teague, SG - Paul George, SF - C.J. Miles, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Heat: PG - Goran Dragic, SG - Dion Waiters, SF - Rodney McGruder, PF - Luke Babbit, C - Hassan Whiteside

Injury Report

Pacers: Al Jefferson - out (dental work)

Heat: Josh McRoberts - out (left foot stress fracture), Justice Winslow - out (right shoulder surgery), Chris Bosh - out

Last Meeting

December 14, 2016: After winning two consecutive games, the Pacers fell to the Miami Heat 95-89 on the road.

The Pacers struggled to find a rhythm early on Wednesday, connecting on just 7-of-23 shots (30.4 percent) in the first quarter. But Indiana was good enough defensively to force the Heat into 10 turnovers and got to the free throw line eight times in the period, which allowed the Blue & Gold to head into the second quarter with a 21-20 lead.

In the third quarter, the Pacers led 79-78, but a prolong scoring drought damaged Indiana's chances of picking up the road win as the Heat's offense began to click.

"I thought we played a little slow in that fourth quarter," Paul George said after the loss. "I took a couple tough looks. One particular three that I could have avoided. I thought we just played slow which kind of sped us up when it got late in the shot clock where we had to try and make plays."

George led the Pacers with 22 points in the loss, but was just 8-for-22 from the field. C.J. Miles added 15 points off the bench, going 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Turner added 11 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks.

Noteworthy

  • The last time the Pacers won a road game in Miami was Nov. 14, 2014.
  • Indiana leads the all-time regular season series with the Heat, 60-44.
  • Miami forward Josh McRoberts played on the Pacers from 2008-2011.
  • Pacers forward Rakeem Christmas and Heat guard Dion Waiters were teammates at Syracuse.

Tickets

After five games on the road, the Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday, March 8 for a meeting with a Central Division foe, the Detroit Pistons. Find Tickets »

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)

Away Game Night Special

49 States Tee - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »