Game Recap

The Pacers got good news on Wednesday, as All-Star guard Victor Oladipo announced his plans to make his season debut in three weeks after a full calendar year of rehabbing his ruptured right quad tendon.

Unfortunately for Pacers fans, they were still shorthanded on Wednesday night against the Miami Heat. Starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon joined his future backcourt mate Oladipo in street clothes at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, missing his fourth straight game due to lower back soreness.

The duo could only watch as the Heat (27-10) handled the undermanned Pacers (23-15), 122-108.

The Heat led by 13 at halftime and blew the game open in a wild third quarter in which the Pacers lost another starter when small forward T.J. Warren was ejected after multiple incidents with Miami's All-Star swingman, Jimmy Butler.

In the end, it was a disappointing result for the Pacers, who started the year 15-3 at home but have dropped two straight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"I just don't think we had enough energy throughout most of the game," Pacers forward Justin Holiday said after the game. "They played very, very well as a team, moved the ball very well, and we didn't...We have to play a full 48 minutes. We have to have a certain energy and a certain assertiveness about ourselves and we didn't have that tonight."

The two teams were tied at 11 after Jeremy Lamb's 3-pointer at the 7:29 mark in the first quarter before the Heat reeled off eight unanswered points. The visitors would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the night.

After setting up his teammates with four assists earlier in the quarter, Butler hit four straight shots to score Miami's final eight points of the first quarter and give the Heat a 31-23 lead entering the second.

Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis did his best to keep Indiana in Wednesday's game in the first half. The 6-11 Lithuanian tallied 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, eight rebounds, and five assists in 16 minutes to power the Pacers' offense.

Still, the Heat maintained a multi-possession lead throughout the second quarter, extending their advantage all the way to 13 points before the break.

The Heat broke the game open early in the third quarter. Miami scored the first five points of the frame and continued to build its lead from there.

The visitors had a 79-56 lead with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter when Warren was whistled for a foul for grabbing Butler's arm as he drove.

That set in motion a wild sequence, as Butler immediately jumped in Warren's face and the two exchanged words. They were quickly separated by their teammates but kept yelling at each other all the way from their respective benches. After a replay review, both players were assessed technical fouls.

Immediately after play resumed, Butler was called for an offensive foul for lowering his shoulder into Warren's chest. Warren responded by clapping in Butler's ear after the call and was subsequently whistled for a second technical and ejected.

The sequence lit a fire under the crowd, who booed Butler vociferously the rest of the night. Indiana mounted a minor charge after Butler's technical free throw, with Aaron Holiday and Lamb hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the deficit to 18.

But Miami responded with eight straight points to squash any hopes of a potential Pacers rally. The Heat took a commanding 100-72 lead into the fourth quarter and cruised to victory.

"We didn't establish anything," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. "They dominated from the start to the finish."

Sabonis led Indiana with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, 14 rebounds, and six assists in the loss. Justin Holiday added 14 points off the bench, going 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point range.

Aaron Holiday, starting at point guard in place of Brogdon, finished with 14 points and five assists. Lamb and Edmond Sumner scored 13 points apiece.

Bam Adebayo led Miami with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, nine rebounds, and four assists. Derrick Jones Jr. tallied 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Butler added 14 points, six boards, seven assists, and two steals.

The Heat had seven players score in double figures and hit 16 3-pointers in the win, with Tyler Herro (19 points and seven rebounds) knocking down five triples and Duncan Robinson (17 points and five assists) drilling four.

The Pacers will head to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Friday, then will return to Indianapolis to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday evening.

Inside the Numbers

Despite being a game-time decision with a sore left knee, Sabonis was able to record his 30th double-double of the season on Wednesday, matching his total for the entire 2018-19 campaign.

Sumner's 13 points were a season high.

The Heat outscored Indiana by 21 points from 3-point range. Miami went 16-for-38 (42.1 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Pacers went just 9-for-27 (33.3 percent).

The Pacers had a 50-42 advantage in points in the paint and a 16-10 advantage in fastbreak points.

You Can Quote Me On That

"He still felt there was something there, but we needed him certainly in this game and he gave us all he had. He played some big important minutes for us. Just collectively as a unit, they controlled this game from the start." -McMillan on Sabonis playing through pain

"If it was an easy answer, we'd have that figured out already. It comes with experience, with playing games and doing the best you can to do your job." -Justin Holiday on finding another level of consistency

"I think a lot of that falls on me. I think that me being the presence that I am on the defensive end, and knowing that I am, I've got to be able to rally my troops and get everybody going. I pride myself on my defense and I think that it’s starting to slip a little as a team so we have to work to get it going the right way." -Pacers center Myles Turner on Indiana's defensive struggles

"That's how this team is built. That's how our best player is wired. It’s fun basketball to be a part of if everybody can embrace it. It could be multiple guys, different guys, on different nights and it doesn’t necessarily have to be one guy with a high usage rate." -Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Miami's balanced attack

"Everybody is so comfortable. Everybody knows where everybody is going to be at on the floor and we work on it every day in practice. So this is a good step forward in the sense that we did it in a game. Now, we just have to stack it up for the next one and take it to Brooklyn and play the same way." -Butler

Stat of the Night

The Heat's 122 points are their most in franchise history in a game against the Pacers.

Noteworthy

• Coupled with a loss in Miami on Dec. 27, the Pacers have dropped two straight against the Heat. The two teams meet again on March 20 in Indianapolis and on April 7 in Miami.
• Prior to Wednesday, the Heat had lost two straight and 12 of their last 13 games at The Fieldhouse.
• Wednesday was the second straight game in which a Pacers player was ejected. Justin Holiday was ejected in the fourth quarter of Monday's win in Charlotte for arguing with the officials.

Up Next

The Pacers travel to Chicago to take on Thaddeus Young and the Bulls on Friday, Jan. 10 at 8:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

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