Game 1 victory has Pacers feeling right at home
Photo By Darron Cummings/STF
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana is done talking about home-court advantage.
The top-seeded Pacers are ready to use it against the two-time defending champs.
They took the first step Sunday, when Paul George had 24 points and seven assists, David West added 19 points and seven rebounds, and suddenly surging Indiana led wire-to-wire in a 107-96 victory over Miami in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals.
'This is just a fun matchup,' George said. 'It's one that we've been waiting for all year.'
For the first time in this year's playoffs, the Pacers won a series opener. And for the first time in their last three playoff battles against the Heat, they won Game 1.
Game 2 is Tuesday. The home team has won all five games in this season's fiercest and most competitive rivalry, although no win was more impressive or important than this one.
Hitting on all cylinders
All five Indiana starters and backup C.J. Watson scored in double figures, helping the Pacers produce their highest point total of the playoffs.
Indiana limited Miami to four offensive rebounds and 6-of-23 shooting from beyond the arc. LeBron James went 1-of-5 on 3s and shot only two free throws, and the Heat fell so far behind so fast that they never had a chance to tie the score.
Sure, opening this best-of-seven series at Bankers Life Fieldhouse helped. The hometown crowd that sometimes serenaded the Pacers with boos during the first two rounds spent most of the first half on its feet, chanted 'de-fense' every time it looked as if Miami might come back, and finished the game with its customary chant of 'Beat the Heat!'
But the biggest difference was on the court.
Indiana shared the ball, limited its turnovers, maintained its poise, and got contributions from everyone in a game it had to win. Roy Hibbert finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, Lance Stephenson had 17 points and eight assists, and George Hill added 15 points as the Pacers looked more like the team that was so dominant over the first half of the season rather than the one that struggled so mightily in the second half.
The challengers in this matchup insist they know it's only a start.
'There's nothing to celebrate. It's not like we won a championship. It's one game,' Hill said. 'Yes, it was good, but if we come out and lay an egg on Tuesday, this game doesn't mean anything.'
Miami looks for answers
The toughest part for Miami will be figuring out what went wrong.
Coach Erik Spoelstra used Shane Battier in the starting lineup and then replaced him with Udonis Haslem after Indiana took a 55-45 halftime lead. It made no difference.
James, who had 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Dwyane Wade, who had 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting, desperately tried to rally the Heat but got little help. Chris Bosh had nine points and two rebounds. Ray Allen finished with 12 points.
While Bosh thought the primary problem was Miami's inability to get stops, James wasn't as sure.
'The game's still so fresh. It's too hard to just say, 'Well, we need to do this better in Game 2,' ' James said after the Heat lost for only the second time in 10 playoff games. 'We need to evaluate our mistakes and things we did in Game 1 first before I can say what we need to bring to Game 2.'
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