The Pacers have known for months that they are in the playoffs, but they will finally tip off the postseason on Tuesday, Aug. 18, when they take on the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first round series.
Indiana will meet in the matchup between the fourth and fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference. Both enter Friday's regular season finale with identical 44-28 records. The winner of Friday's game will secure the fourth seed and be the designated home team for Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. The fifth seed will be the home team for Games 3, 4, and 6.
All playoff games this season will be played inside the NBA bubble in Orlando.
The Pacers and Heat have played three times already this season, with Miami prevailing in all three meetings. The Heat eked out a 113-112 win in Miami on Dec. 27, came away with a 122-108 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Jan. 8, and beat Indiana 114-92 on Monday night in Orlando.
This will be the fifth meeting between the Pacers and the Heat in the playoffs, but the first time they have played in the first round. Indiana won a second-round series in six games in 2004. The two teams then met for three straight seasons from 2012-14, with Miami advancing each time. The last two meetings came in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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The winner of the series between Indiana and Miami will advance to face the winner of the series between top-seeded Milwaukee and eight-seeded Orlando.
The first four games of between the Pacers and Heat will air locally on FOX Sports Indiana and nationally on either TNT or ESPN.
2020 First Round Schedule: Pacers vs Heat
* - If Necessary