featured-image

Game Rewind: Pacers 95, Heat 113

Game Rewind

The Pacers (30-29) entered the fourth quarter trailing by just four, but were outscored 30-16 in the final period en route to a 113-95 loss to the Miami Heat (27-32) at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The Pacers had a slight edge in the early going, leading 15-12 at the midway point of the opening quarter. Both offenses weren't great by any means as Indiana shot just 31.8 percent from the floor, while Miami made 38.1 percent of its shots.

But Indiana maintained its advantage heading into the second, leading 23-18.

Indiana's staple in the first half was the free throw. The Pacers got to the charity stripe early and often, making 19 of their 21 attempts in the first two quarters.

The free-throw line helped the Pacers grow their lead to 10, 37-27, with 8:18 left in the half, as six free throws were a part of a 10-1 run.

Indiana led by eight, 46-38, with under five minutes to play, but the Heat would rally, outscoring the Pacers 13-4 to lead 51-50 with 1:45 left in the half. However, the Pacers were able to take a one-point lead into the locker room thanks to a Thad Young steal which turned into an emphatic Paul George slam with just seconds remaining.

In the third, Miami jumped out to a six-point lead and appeared to grab a hold of all of the momentum when Paul George was ejected after receiving his second technical foul of the quarter with 8:48 to play.

But Indiana didn't George's absence affect them, as from his ejection to the 4:33 mark, the Pacers outscored the Heat 15-7 to take a 73-71 lead.

The lead wouldn't last though, as Miami would enter the fourth with an 83-79 advantage, after finishing the quarter with a 12-6 run.

“After Paul (George) was ejected we still kind of played good for a second," Pacers point guard Jeff Teague said. "Then we started missing some easy ‘chippies’, including myself."

The Heat started the final period the way it ended the third. At the midway point, Miami had outscored the Pacers 19-6 to build its lead to 15, 102-85. Indiana couldn't get within striking distance the rest of the way.

"They went on a run in a matter of six or seven minutes," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. "That really changed the game. I thought that was the difference.”

Myles Turner led the way for Indiana, finishing with 18 points and seven rebounds. Jeff Teague added 16 points and six assists.

For Miami, Hassan Whiteside and Dion Waiters each scored 22 points. James Johnson finished with 15 points off the bench.

Inside the Numbers

Tonight marked only the sixth time all season the Pacers have lost after leading at halftime. They are now 21-6 when they go into the locker room with an advantage.

Indiana shot 40 percent tonight and are now 14-23 when shooting between 40-49 percent from the floor.

Glenn Robinson III's +/- rating of +6 was the team's best.

You Can Quote Me On That

"I thought we did a pretty good job in the first quarter but you can’t just play one quarter. They come and they are relentless for 48 minutes." - Pacers head coach Nate McMillan

They started moving the ball well. (Hassan) Whiteside started demanding the ball down the stretch and playing really well. It made it tough for us.” - Pacers guard Jeff Teague

“We just got back to who we are. We got back to our identity." - Heat forward James Johnson

Stat of the Night

Hassan Whiteside continued to cause problems for the Pacers, as he finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds. In their first matchup of the season back on Dec. 14, 2016, Whiteside compiled 26 points and 22 rebounds in a victory over the Pacers.

Noteworthy

  • With his 10 points, Paul George passed Billy Knight (7,440) into eighth place for the most points scored in Pacers NBA franchise history.
  • The Pacers are now 6-6 in the month of February.
  • One night after setting a career high in rebounds with five, Rakeem Christmas set a new high by finishing with seven boards.

Up Next

The Pacers' road trip continues Monday, as they head to Houston to take on James Harden and the Rockets. Tipoff is set for 9:30 PM ET.

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 »