(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – The Indiana Pacers (14-14, 8-6 home) hold the Miami Heat (13-15, 4-9 away) to an opponent low 87-points, but the Pacers score their fewest points in a home game since 2015 and fall to the Heat 87-82.
In the opening quarter of tonight’s game, the Pacers and Heat would jockey back and forth with the lead. In total the lead would exchange eight times with Miami possessing the largest lead of 11 points. After being tied at 11 with 7:19 remaining, the Heat would go on a 13-2 run until Buddy Hield sunk a three with less than a minute left. Hield would make another within the final seconds to cut the 11-point deficit to seven. After one, the Pacers would trail the Heat 26-19. Hield led all scorers with ten points, followed by seven points from Jimmy Butler. An area the Pacers struggled was taking care of the basketball as they turned it over seven times.
The second quarter did not start pretty for the blue and gold. After cutting the deficit down to four points, Miami would outscore Indiana 17-2 in just over six minutes of game action. During the last 5:40, the Pacers would chip away and cut their deficit back to single digits in large part due to Myles Turner. He only scored six points, but he blocked a shot, and grabbed four rebounds when Indiana was struggling on the glass. Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers in scoring for the quarter with seven. Bam Adebayo scored nine for the Heat. At halftime Miami led 47-42 despite out-rebounding Indiana by eight. Adebayo led all scorers with 15. Hield and Aaron Nesmith each had 10 for Indiana.
Coming out of the locker room, the Pacers found some life offensively, but it wasn’t a ton of efficiency. The lock down Miami defense held Indiana to 22 points in the quarter, but Miami only scored two points. The lead would change a couple times because the Pacers were able to generate a small run to take a five-point lead, but the veteran team of Miami would not waiver. After going down 62-57 with 4:44 remaining, Miami would close the quarter outscoring Indiana 10-2 and lead 67-64.
The fourth quarter was not pretty if you are a fan of offense in the NBA. In the first 8 minutes of the quarter, the score was Miami 74, Indiana 73. Meaning that Miami had scored seven points during that stretch and Indiana would score just nine points. In the entire quarter, Indiana would just score 18 points. Miami would be able to get to the foul line the final couple minutes to extend their lead nine points. The Pacers would force a couple late turnovers and had a chance to cut the deficit down to one possession after Kyle Lowry turned the ball over on an inbound with 40 seconds left. Turner would step out of bounds just seven seconds later down four, and then Adebayo and Butler would make two of four free throws to ice things.
Top Performers: Bam Adebayo (22p, 17r, 2s), Jimmy Butler (20p, 7r, 5a, 2s), Buddy Hield (19p, 9r), Andrew Nembhard (18p, 5r), Myles Turner (15p, 13r, 4b). For tonight’s full box score, click here.
Notes: First game without a field goal for Tyrese Haliburton as an Indiana Pacer and third time in his career. The fewest points scored in a game for Indiana since February of 2020 and the fewest points scored in a home game since October of 2015. Indiana has now lost six of their last eight games.
Next Up: Indiana wraps up their four-game homestand on Wednesday with the Golden State Warriors coming to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Kroger Pregame Show with Pat Boylan will start at 6:30pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan with tip-off at 7pm.
