After game 2 loss to Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat have been exposed – NBA Feature
The Miami Heat were shocked Tuesday night when they lost to the Indiana Pacers in game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semi Final clash. Shocked because one gets the feeling that ever since Derrick Rose got injured in the Bulls first
playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Heat had been thinking it was going to be an easy ride into the NBA Finals. And they were not the only ones, with many game analysts and bloggers sharing their views.
The Heat underestimated the Indiana Pacers, who are a solid team that plays hardcore basketball. The Pacers finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. In game 2, the Heat got the wake up call, as the
Pacers pushed them to the edge and then a little further, claiming a closely fought win in the process.
LeBron James, who is the supreme leader of the Heats team, failed in the final minutes of the night. He had a shot blocked by Danny Granger, missed two free throws, and refused to attack in the final few minutes of the game. James
had 28 points for the night but his late game inconsistency proved critical for the Heat.
Wade was also unimpressive for the night, as he missed 4 field goal attempts to take the lead in the final two minutes of the game and finished with an 8 of 22 shooting night. And the blame is not completely on the two star players.
The rest of the Heat roster combined to score 23 points while shooting 9 of 34 from the field.
Shane Battier had 5 points and Mike Miller had 0. Chris Bosh missed the game with an abdominal injury and his injury made us all realize how critical he really is to the Heat success. Without Bosh, the Heat had no scoring options
and no presence in the paint area. Without any presence in the paint, the Pacers defended the perimeter rigorously and held Miami to 34.6% shooting for the night.
Going into the next game, the Heat need a readjustment of strategy. Their game plan is far too predictable and Pacers have a good enough defense with some big guys to hold off James and Wade to the point where they can secure a
victory. Without fear of any other player and no presence in the paint, the Pacers have only the perimeter to worry about.
Miami need to return to their playing style which has brought so much success to them. In game 2, they played the game like Indiana wanted them to. Their strength is their speed, their transition game and their penetration. They
need to play at a faster pace than the Pacers to not let the Pacers settle in their defense and get some easy looks.
It will be even more difficult for the Heat to beat Indiana at home. They have come to win and seem motivated by the fact that no one has them winning against the Heat. And lastly, LeBron needs to play like the MVP. There has a
lot of analysis about him not performing in the 4th quarter and that he should give the leadership to Wade in the final period and all that. But the bottom line is that he is the best in the league and he needs to stand up to the opponent and take
the shot. Some will go and some won’t but his attitude needs to be aggressive so he can help his team in close games.
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