With their backs to the wall, the Indiana Pacers pulled out a series-tying win on Saturday night against the Miami Heat. Now, with everything on the line, the two teams will face each other one more time for the right to play in the NBA Finals.
Pacers’ 91-77 win over the Heat forces a Game 7
Full of surprises, the Indiana Pacers extended their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Miami Heat behind a 91-77 Game 6 win. The victory means the teams will face each other in a Game 7 for the right to face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Just as the third quarter was the decisive one for the Heat in Game 5, the Pacers used that period to take control in this game as well. After trailing by one at halftime, Indiana outscored Miami 29-15 in that quarter to take a 13-point advantage into the final quarter. They never looked back from there on the way to the victory.
As they’ve done so much in this series, Roy Hibbert and Paul George led the way for Indiana. Hibbert had 24 points and 11 rebounds while George added 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals. George also had six turnovers, but that was a problem for the entire team. Each starter had at least two of them and the team finished with 18 on the night.
Without the suspended Chris Andersen, Miami was forced to rely on backup center Joel Anthony. Anthony shocked most by playing 29 minutes, but while he rebounded well (leading the team with eight boards), he struggled offensively, finishing only 1-5 from the field for two points.
But despite Anthony’s rebounding effort, the Heat were again throttled on the glass. The Pacers won the rebounding battle 53-33 and that played a big role in the team’s win.
For the second straight game, LeBron James was forced to play hero. He had 29 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while no other Heat player had more than ten points. That included Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade – both of whom struggled mightily yet again. Bosh was a dismal 1-8 from the field and finished with only five points and four rebounds. Wade, meanwhile, was just as bad, shooting 3-11 on his way to only ten points. Miami also didn’t get anything out of Game 5 hero, Udonis Haslem. Haslem had four fouls and was scoreless with only two rebounds on the night.
The Heat have several quality players, but when only James shows up, they suddenly become a very beatable squad. As good as he is, he can’t entirely carry Miami against one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Heat have to give him more help if they have hopes of defending their title.
After failing to close out the series, the Heat are now on the ropes. They may be the better team in the series, but now it all comes down to one game. And in that scenario, anybody can win. At home, the odds are that the Heat will be favored. But to write off the Pacers here would be foolish considering the way they’ve played on the road.
The Pacers have to travel for the final game and defeat Miami on the road. But if there’s anything good about that, it’s that Indiana has proven they can beat the Heat away from home. The Pacers won Game 2 in Miami and lost by a single point in overtime in Game 1 after a last-second layup by James. Indiana didn’t win the sole game against the Heat on the road in the regular season, but their play in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals should be enough proof to them that they can compete against Miami on the road.
Game 7 will be played on Monday at 8:30 p.m.
