The Heat continued to stay hot with a 105-90 win over the Indiana Pacers tonight. This is the Heat’s 4th win in a row and Indiana’s 4th loss in a row. Miami not only got an easy win, but also made lots of history in the process. At 23-7, the Heat are off to their best start in franchise history. Not only that, but they became the first team in 33 years to win three straight on the road in three days and the first in 42 years to win each of the three by double digits. So much for it being a tiring road trip. The Heat looked energized and on a mission.
Miami was just having fun the whole game. LeBron led the way with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. While he didn’t get the triple double, he definitely showed that he is the league’s MVP and will be the front-runner for the award. Dwyane Wade added 16 points on 50% shooting and Chris Bosh chipped in with 13 points and 7 rebounds.
The real surprise of the game was Norris Cole. He played a fantastic game and finished with 20 points, while going 8-12 from the field, and also had 3 assists. Erik Spoelstra played him for 30 minutes, which was 13 more minutes than Mario Chalmers, who only had 4 points on 2-5 shooting. The Heat are a faster-paced team when Cole is on the floor, and when he’s shooting well from the field, they are a better team than they are with Chalmers.
Indiana just played terribly from the start. At the end of the first quarter, the Heat were up 33-16. It seemed like Indiana just gave up after their best player, Danny Granger, sprained his ankle late in the first quarter. David West had 14 points and Roy Hibbert didn’t do much. Hibbert finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds, which are a little below his season average. A.J. Price and Paul George played well, but it was nowhere near well-enough to even compete with the Heat.
This was not only a historic win for Miami, but another blowout win where the stars got to rest. James played 33 minutes, while Bosh and Wade played 26 and 24. Also, the Heat got to give some of the bench guys some run. Mickell Gladness, Eddy Curry, and Juwan Howard all got to play and contribute. This was a great win for Miami and now they will finally get some rest before the Cleveland game on Friday, which is the last game of their 6th game road trip. Be tuned for a preview of the game on Friday morning!
Author’s Note: This game was special for me because Miami beat one of my best friends, Graham’s, favorite team.