The Miami HEAT fell to the Indiana Pacers 107-96 Sunday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Dwyane Wade led the way for the HEAT with 27 points and four assists. Miami is now down 1-0 in the series.
Impact Performance of the Game: Despite the loss, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade didn’t disappoint in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. James took it to the hoop for a majority of the game and attacked Indiana’s defense head on. He shot 11-of-18 from the field for 25 points and completed a four-point play with about four minutes left in the game as he was trying to rally Miami back.
Wade also played very well on the offensive end for the HEAT. Early in the second quarter, Wade and Lance Stephenson went right at each other and traded buckets. Wade got to the rim pretty effectively and had some very nice floaters in the game. He finished with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting and four assists.
The Deciding Run: Indiana went on a 14-7 run at the start of the second half to go up by 17 points with 6:48 left in the third quarter. However, Miami fought back and closed the quarter on an 8-2 run thanks to the great two-way play from LeBron James. The HEAT would continue their run into the fourth and close the gap to nine points, but it just wasn’t enough.
Play of the Game: During the HEAT’s come-back bid late in the third quarter, LeBron James threw up a lob to Chris Andersen from the top of the key that Andersen adjusted to perfectly for the finish. Right after that, James played the passing lane and swiped an errant pass from C.J. Watson and took it all the way home to cut the Pacers’ lead to 11 with 23 seconds left in the quarter.
Another great play for Miami came with 3:05 left in the first quarter. Mario Chalmers brought the ball up after he blocked George Hill. He then threw up a perfect lob for LeBron James who made a brilliant cut to the rim to throw it down and cut the Pacers’ lead to five early.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 104.8; Defensive Efficiency: 119.8
Trend to Watch: The Pacers started the game on fire from downtown and simply never cooled down as the game progressed. Indiana started the game 6-of-7 from beyond the arc in Game 1 and finished 8-of-19 from distance. The HEAT did a solid job of contesting shots and closing out as the game wore on, but it was just Indiana’s night.
In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Miami really amped up its defensive intensity and made things more difficult for the Pacers. As long as the HEAT continue to contest shots and play with more energy to start games, there is no way the Pacers can keep up the torrid shooting.
The Takeaway: Despite playing pretty solid defense, the HEAT found themselves in a situation where everything was falling for the Pacers. Even with everything going awry for Miami, it had a shot early in the fourth quarter to make a strong push and get back in the game. Unfortunately, some costly turnovers stopped its momentum. However, that didn’t stop the HEAT from clawing and fighting back until the very end.
Early on in the game, Miami did a good job of fronting Roy Hibbert and making it difficult for him to get touches where he wants them. Chris Bosh also drew him out of the lane which freed up Wade early on a few of his drives. Still, the HEAT tried to beat the Pacers mainly from the perimeter. Indiana attempted 37 free throws as opposed to Miami’s 15. Expect the HEAT to take it to the rim more often and make that a point of emphasis in Game 2.
Notes: Norris Cole played some pretty good on-ball defense in the third quarter. Miami will need his contributions on both ends in order to win the series. Game 1 was a step in the right direction for Cole.
Game Highlights: