Pacers blow out Heat in Game 1
The Indiana Pacers shocked the world by toppling the Miami Heat 107-96 on Sunday afternoon to capture the series lead.
Miami's defense was completely overwhelmed by the Pacers' usually mediocre offense. The Pacers shot 51.5 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from three, and held a 29-10 edge in free-throws made. Indiana was led in scoring by forward Paul George, who scored 24 points. He also chipped in with four rebounds, seven assists and a steal.
As usual, Heat forward LeBron James was excellent, scoring 25 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out five assists. His efforts were complimented by that of guard Dwyane Wade, who led the Heat with 27 points in the loss.
The Pacers' success on offense prompted Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to reverse his decision to start forward Shane Battier. Heat forward Udonis Haslem started in Battier's place to begin the second half, but he also struggled to contain the Pacers' attack. Haslem's counterpart (Pacers' forward David West) was highly effective, scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field.
Indiana led for the entirety of the game, and posted its highest scoring output in the playoffs thus far.
Star Performer
The Pacers starters executed beautifully as a unit, and outscored the Heat's starters by a score of 93-70. However, it was the star of forward Paul George that shone the brightest.
George led the Pacers with 24 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting from the field. He also dished out seven assists in the victory.
However, it was his defensive effort on LeBron James that was most commendable. Defending James is a team-wide effort, and Pacers center Roy Hibbert's rim protection is to be credited, but George limited LeBron to just two free-throw attempts.
Turning Point
The Heat managed to shave the Pacers' lead down to 11 points in the fourth quarter. Wade sunk a jumpshot on after receiving a pass from Ray Allen, which appeared to foreshadow a potential comeback from the two-time reigning champions.
However, on the ensuing possession, George answered by drilling a key three-pointer with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, which pushed the Pacers' lead back up to 14 points. The shot effectively dashed any hope of a comeback from the Heat, and allowed the Pacers to cruise to an easy victory.
Highlight Reel
LeBron shows former Warriors coach Mark Jackson some love
Good: Mario Chalmers finds LeBron for the easy dunk
Bad: Wario Chalmers earns a tech for shoving C.J. Watson
LeBron throws a sweet bounce-pass
Quotes of the Game
Spoelstra: "That's probably at our worst defensively."
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) May 18, 2014
Vogel says Pacers can't get beyond themselves: "Team that's coming back for Game 2 is the two-time defending champion."
— Michael Wallace (@WallaceNBA_ESPN) May 18, 2014
Heat players done with media for the night, some off to watch Game of Thrones. None has demanded a trial by combat.
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) May 18, 2014
Series at a Glance
Game 1: IND 107, MIA 96 (Pacers lead series 1-0)
Game 2: Tuesday, May 20 - 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 3: Saturday, May 24 - 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, May 26 - 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Wednesday, May 28 - TBD
Game 6*: Friday, May 20 - TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, June 1 - TBD