The Indiana Pacers dominate from the start, igniting a massive run against a struggling Miami Heat squad. Defensive lapses and offensive woes seal a crushing defeat.
Indianapolis, IN - As the Miami Heat's four-game road trip continued on an odd note, due to the Chicago Bulls' matchup being postponed because of condensation on the court, the journey instead began against the Indiana Pacers. The reigning Eastern Conference champions are having a horrendous season, a 7-31 record before the game, and suffered a 13-game losing streak not too long ago.
The Heat needed to take advantage of the opportunity, which would help build chemistry within a fully healthy roster.
The starting lineup:
Heat: Davion Mitchell-Tyler Herro-Norman Powell-Andrew Wiggins Bam Adebayo
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard-Quenton Jackson-Aaron Nesmith-Johnny Furphy-Pascal Siakam
It was interesting that both teams decided to begin the game with small lineups. However, it started terribly for the Heat as the Pacers scored on two consecutive turnovers, which sparked a 24-5 run, mainly led by Andrew Nembhard. As the first quarter ended with a score of 36-18, the Heat's offense was horrendous, missing all eight shot attempts from three-point range, and Norman Powell scored just one point.
The offense continued to struggle, but found some life towards the end of the second quarter, sparking a mini 11-6 run. The Heat cut the deficit to single digits after Powell scored his first field goal of the game from behind the arc. However, the Pacers continued to dominate in the paint, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities, which gave them a 61-45 lead heading into halftime.
In today's league, double-digits come and go at any moment, but the Heat had little to no firepower to overcome it. The Pacers sparked a massive 32-10 run throughout the third quarter, which gave them their biggest lead of the game, a 29-point differential. Afterwards, the game was put to rest, capped with a one-handed reverse dunk by Jay Huff, resulting in a final score of 123-99.
It's by far the worst and most egregious loss of the season. It's also a perfect example to never underestimate your opponent, regardless of record. The Pacers had seven players score in double figures, with All-Star forward Pascal Siakam scoring the second-least among the group.
Fifth-year center Micah Potter recorded the second-most points in a game of his career, 14, including four three-pointers made, and four rebounds in 16 minutes. He spent a season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's G-League affiliate.
Nembhard led the charge with 29 points, including four three-pointers made, six rebounds, nine assists, and two steals in 29 minutes.
"We had plenty of opportunities to work our way back into it," Erik Spoelstra said. "It felt like, emotionally, mentally, physically, we were really ramped up and ready to play in Chicago. Tonight, I don't know if I had that feeling to start this game. They made us pay for it. We're playing from behind and in the mud the rest of the way. That's a level of inconsistency right now, not the entire season. Right now, we have to correct [things] to put ourselves in a better position to win."
The Heat will play the second game of a back-to-back, Sunday night, against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It will cap the road trip before a three-game homestand. There needs to be some progression before the rest of the Eastern Conference leaves them behind.
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