SBNation.com - NBA Playoffs: Pacers Cool Heat Late To Even Series, 78-75

LeBron James' Missed Free-Throws Not All That Led To Pacers Win In Miami

2012-05-16T14:46:12Z

The Miami Heat lost to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night in what can probably be called an upset despite the narrow 78-75 margin of victory. The national media's narrative will likely put the majority of the loss on LeBron James' shoulders for missing free-throws in clutch situations, but the Pacers' simply executed their gameplan better than Miami (and it didn't hurt that Chris Bosh was out, either).

The Heat simply were outplayed, really, as SB Nation's experts will attest to -- both those on the Heat side as well as those in Indiana. Our friends over at Peninsula Is Mightier noted that James' missed free-throws were a big deal, but not the biggest deal when it came down to it.

Critics will immediately jump on LeBron for missing 3 of 4 free throws in the closing minutes of the game, but in truth the Heat wouldn't have had a chance if it wasn't for what he and Wade did to keep the Heat close, who were trailing since the midway point of the third quarter. The team only mustered 14 points in the third quarter with a flat offense that featured little to no ball movement and zero creativity.

SB Nation's Pacers blog, Indy Cornrows, also downplayed the missed free-throws as it instead focused on the defensive effort of the Pacers ... and all-around struggles from the Heat earlier in the game.

Mario Chalmers ended up with the game tying shot, a miss, as time ran out on the Miami Heat comeback, giving the Indiana Pacers a huge satisfying win they desperately tried to give away at numerous points. Even though all of the talking points will revolve around the LeBron James' missed free throws, the third quarter was huge. The Pacers defense deserves credit for this win. It wasn't perfect, but it did a superb job forcing everything through James and Wade (even forcing them into jump shots galore) and effectively shutting down their entire roster.

Indiana played poorly, but got enough from its roster to come away with a win on a night it appeared the Heat couldn't possibly play any worse. The Heat finished up at 35 percent, 1-17 from three-point range, getting 52 of the team's 75 total points from James and Wade. While it doesn't appear the Heat can really play any worse, the good news is that Indiana can continue to wear down those two and hopefully continue to win in the series.

It will be interesting to see where Game 3 of the series is headed and, regardless of the outcome of the series, there's a good chance James and Co. aren't going to want it to be decided by free-throws -- even if that isn't why they lost on Tuesday night.

For more on the Pacers, head over to Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana. For more on the Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

For The Miami Heat, No Chris Bosh Means Big Problems

2012-05-16T13:01:42Z

This should be self-evident, but just in case there's any confusion: when a team with three good players loses one of those three players, it's going to get ugly. Even if one of the healthy players is LeBron James and the other one's Dwyane Wade.

Welcome to the Miami Heat's reality without Chris Bosh. And our reality, too, since we're the ones who have to watch the ugliness play out on TNT every other night.

Miami's offense was a mess in Game 2 against the Pacers, and if Bosh is going to miss extended time, that's just the beginning. They can still beat the Pacers -- Indiana gave them every chance in a Game 2 that everyone was trying to lose down the stretch -- but more than anything else, Tuesday made it clear that Bosh's injury isn't something Miami can just shrug off.

Even if he's been underwhelming for most of his two years in Miami, Bosh is still enough of a threat to keep defenses from swarming Wade and James every time they drive the lane. He's the linchpin that allows everything else to click, because he pulls defenders out of the lane and gives the other two stars room to work. The numbers bear this out, as Mike Prada noted Monday:

This season, the Heat score over 111 points per 100 possessions when Bosh is on the court and less than 103 when he's not. The team's effective field goal percentage drops from just over 52 percent to about 47.5 percent. Worse, the percentage of the team's field goals that are assisted drops from 55 percent to 51 percent. You could look forever for a number to suggest that no Bosh is better for Miami's offense, but you won't find it.

Game 2 was more proof: LeBron and Wade were 18-44 against the Pacers D, including 0-6 from three. Nobody else on the roster had more than five points, and Miami shot 34 percent as a team. (Anytime you're counting on Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem to come up big on offense in the playoffs ... you're counting on Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem to come up big in the playoffs.)

And here's where it gets ugly: If LeBron and Wade struggled against the Pacers D in Game 2, imagine what'd happen against a team as dominant on defense as the Celtics. Or the Spurs. Or Serge Ibaka and the Thunder. All of those teams are better on defense than Indiana AND they'll have better scoring options than anything the Pacers come up with.

Meanwhile, with zero help from anyone else on the roster as Indiana swarmed the superstars, the Heat's crunch-time offense became "LeBron or Wade careen into a lane full of bodies and hope for the best."

It's not pretty. Miami can still win this week and beyond, but every win will take great defense and outrageous performances from LeBron and Wade. And even then, the offense will be an ugly, two-on-five basketball nightmare, with millions of free throws each night. So, next to the Dwight Howard injury, Derrick Rose's ACL and the myriad Knicks disasters, we now have Bosh's injury turning each Heat game into a grinding exercise in misery. Haven't the playoffs been fun?!

If it seems like we're selling the Pacers short, it's only because we're talking about the NBA's season-long title favorites suddenly looking more vulnerable than ever. Indiana can totally win this series, but that says more about where Miami is right now than anything about the Pacers. If Bosh doesn't come back, the Eastern Conference Finals will be even uglier than Tuesday's game, and if the Heat somehow make it to the Finals, there's no way this Miami offense can keep pace with the Spurs or Thunder.

For Bosh's part, he's said, "This season has to be extended for me to play." Doesn't inspire a whole lotta confidence. You can never write off a team with LeBron and Wade, but make no mistake: Without Bosh, the Miami Heat will be underdogs against every team they might play in later rounds.

You know, if they get that far.

Dwyane Wade Accuses Pacers Of Excessive Celebration

2012-05-16T12:01:06Z

Dwyane Wade wouldn't know anything about getting too excited before winning anything of consequence. He would never do something like this or this, would he? Of course not.

So when he says that the Indiana Pacers got a little too excited after beating his Miami Heat in Game 2 of their 2012 NBA Playoffs series on Tuesday, he's doing it because he wants to make sure they're as virtuous as he is. Here's what Wade said following the game.

"I heard they wanted to be like the Dallas Mavericks," Wade said, referencing something Pacers coach Frank Vogel said during a timeout that was broadcasted on ABC during Game 1. "I saw their little celebration at the end of the game, so I don't know if they expected to win."

It was Wade's way of reminding the Pacers that they are the underdogs, which Wade felt the need to do even though the scoreboard doesn't care which team was actually favored in the series. But that's neither here nor there. If Wade wanted to blow off steam, I guess that's his prerogative.

The problem? The Pacers weren't even really celebrating. Oh sure, they were excited for a bit, but David West ushered them off the court simply because he knew it was just one game.

If that's a form of celebration, I'd like to know what Wade thinks isn't.

Heat Vs. Pacers, 2012 NBA Playoffs Game 2: Final Score, Indiana Holds On For 78-75 Win

2012-05-16T01:51:32Z

The Indiana Pacers have pulled off a surprise split on South Beach, proving that they won't be a pushover for the Miami Heat. Following a hard-fought Game 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena, Indiana were better in the closing minutes of Game 2, hanging on for a 78-75 win.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had solid games for the Heat, but both struggled down the stretch and couldn't convert on great scoring opportunities when they were handed to them. James finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, six steals and five assists, but missed two crucial free throws with 54 seconds remaining while the Pacers led by one point. On the Heat's next possession, which followed a lengthy Pacers possession extended by an offensive rebound, Wade missed a driving layup.

The Pacers went to the line twice in the closing seconds, but couldn't put the game away. Roy Hibbert and George Hill made one of two free throws in their trips to the line at the end of the game, keeping the Heat in a one-possession game even though they didn't score in the final two minutes.

Hill's missed second free throw ended up in the backcourt after a deflection while both teams were fighting for the rebound, and Hill stepped out of bounds trying to save it, giving possession to Miami with eight seconds remaining. Erik Spoelstra surprisingly drew up the final shot for Mario Chalmers, who got a clean look at a three-pointer, but missed. The Heat couldn't come up with a second-chance attempt and the Pacers are heading home with a 1-1 split.

For more on the Pacers, head over to Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana. For more on the Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Which NBA Playoff Game Was Worse?

2012-05-16T01:39:28Z

Heat-Pacers, Game 2, or Celtics-76ers, Game 2? Let us know.

Poll

Which NBA Playoff game is worse?

Heat-Pacers, Game 2

26 votes

Celtics-76ers, Game 2

35 votes

61 votes | Poll has closed

Just When You Thought This Game Couldn't Get Any Worse

2012-05-16T01:34:28Z

Now nobody can make a free throw.

Here's Where The Pacers Miss Not Having A Point Guard

2012-05-16T01:24:41Z

The Pacers’ biggest problem is they don’t have a point guard to improvise, get assists and make sure everyone is running the right play. This kills them in tight games against really good defenses. It’s killing them against the Heat right now.

LeBron James And Dwyane Wade: Attacking The Offensive Glass

2012-05-16T01:16:43Z

If the Heat find a way to win this game, it’ll be because LeBron James and Dwyane Wade enforced their will in every way. Both guys are attacking the offensive glass with a raging fury, as if they know their teammates won’t ever hit a shot. That’s why this is now just a three-point game.