On a night when two of their big guns fired blanks, the Indiana Pacers still had a chance to put their foot on the throat of the two-time defending NBA champions in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. They never came close as Lebron James and Dwyane Wade made the final quarter their personal statement as they combined for 22 points, leading the Heat to a 87-83 victory and knotting the series at one game a piece.
Afterwards a clearly pleased Wade lamented on the situation when asked about his running mate.
“I always know where No. six is on the floor and he knows where I am at all times as well,” stated Wade, who dismissed questions regarding his knee, playing 34 minutes and scoring 23 points.
James was equally vocal regarding what was expected of them.
“We came out here tonight knowing we had to have it and we played well in the final period when it counted,” added James, who joined Wade in slapping 10 unanswered points on the Pacers down the stretch that put the game away.
The Pacers behind a strong performance from Lance Stephenson made the game a competitive one up until that final run, and had their chances to put Miami down two games to zip in the series. The oft-emotional Stephenson checked his ego at the door and had 25 points to go along seven assists and six rebounds. That production was offset and them some by a mostly uninspired performance by Paul George who struggled mightily, hitting a dismal four of 16 from the floor in route to 14 points. David West who sat out more than Pacers coach Frank Vogel would have preferred due to foul trouble, was equally ineffective producing just 10 points.
But the night belonged to Miami, who clearly set the tone and was light years more aggressive than they were in Game 1.
Notes: Chris Andersen defended the Pacer’s pick and roll scheme effectively all night and was a beast on the boards as well for Miami, pulling down 12 caroms. Along with Udonis Haslem, he provided a presence in the paint that was sorely lacking for Miami in Game 1.
The much maligned Roy Hibbert had 12 points and 13 rebounds but was not overly effective in the paint defensively. The aforementioned Haslem and Andersen had a lot to do with that.
The Pacer bench was again A.W.O.L., registering just nine points. To win in Miami, this must change dramatically.
Miami got a huge boost from reserve guard Norris Cole who in addition to providing eleven points, kept the ball moving for the Heat in their half court sets. His quickness exposed the Pacers often and made a big impact.
Pacer radio play-by-play announcer extraordinaire Mark Boyle summed it up best in his post game comments.
“They have Lebron James and we don’t.” One of the best in the business, Boyle can be heard on the broadcast at 107.5 FM as the series now shifts to Miami for Games 3 and 4, which will be played on May 24 and May 26. ESPN will broadcast both nights with each game beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Danny Bridges, who feels the Pacers blew their chance to win the series by dropping Game 2, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
