Well that sucked.
The Miami Heat fell to the Indiana Pacers 81-75 in a game that sent professional basketball back about 15 years. Miami falls to 5-3, while Indiana improves to 3-6. These two teams combined to shoot a little over 40% from the field, as coherent offensive possessions were at a premium.
The Pacers, missing All-Star Paul George, David West, and George Hill, as well as replacing former guard Lance Stephenson, still were able to pull off the upset, by using the hard-nosed defense that they are known for, combined with an ineptitude for the Heat to convert on opportunities from the field and at the line.
The one holdover from Indiana’s last two Eastern Conference runners-up roster, Roy Hibbert, was a monster, scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, as Miami had no answer for him. Chris Copeland scored 17 points, while Donald Sloan chipped in 15 points, to help…um…pace (sorry) the Pacers attack. And by “attack”, I mean stumbling around drunk in the dark trying to make baskets.
Not like the Heat were any better.
Things that pleased me: I’m thoroughly enjoying the Shawne Williams experience. Every time he shoots, I hold my breath, yet he’s been made 47.4% from downtown to start the season. Just leave him behind the line! Whether he can keep this up remains to be seen. But Williams has been a revelation so far.
After a rough stretch of games that saw his starting spot come into question, Norris Cole had a nice night with 9 points and 7 assists. He’s not letting the fact that Shabazz Napier plays the bulk of fourth quarters get to him, as he’s still out there trying to prove that his job shouldn’t be questioned.
Dwyane Wade started the game off hot, scoring 11 points in the first quarter, on his way to 20 points for the evening. He continues to be efficient, shooting 50% (8 for 16) from the field. But if you can do the math, he only had 9 points the rest of the way…
Things that annoyed me: Because after ending the first quarter shooting 52.4% from the field, the Heat went cold in the second and third quarters. Miami shot 12 for 30 (40%) in those 24 minutes, scoring a total of 32 points. Miami had 10 points (on 9 shots) in the paint in the second and third quarters, as the Heat went through one of their lulls where they fall in love with jumpers and struggle to generate offense when those don’t fall.
The Heat also were brutal from the line, shooting 8 for 18 from the stripe. You can’t giveaway free points when they’re given to you, and the Heat shot themselves in the foot. Luckily, they would have probably miseds their foot trying to shoot it.
Chris Bosh had a rough night, going for 9 points and 2 rebounds. He got in early foul trouble in the first quarter and never got into the game after that, while Luol Deng, coming off a 30-point outing against the Mavericks, only had 5 points. An ineffective Bosh and Deng means the Heat are going to have a hard time picking up wins no matter who the opponent is.
Things that perplexed me: The Pacers shot 37.5% from the field, and 30.8% from downtown…and won by six. It helps when they’re pounding the boards like wildmen, out-rebounding the Heat 52-28, with 16 of them coming on the offensive glass. The Pacers were working with a skeleton crew and the Heat still couldn’t out-work them. It’s one thing when it’s Hibbert doing the damage, but guard Solomon Hill had 10 rebounds, and Lavoy Allen had 7 off the bench. I think George had a couple, and he’s got enough on his plate as he’s getting catfished on one leg.
Scale of 1 to 10, how bad did I want to throw a lamp because of Mario Chalmers?: 7. Chalmers lives in a world where he believes throwing a shoulder into an opposing player’s chest is going to get him the foul call. He does this when he’s guarding someone and he never gets that call. On Wednesday, he drove to the basket hoping to draw contact, but he decided to force the issue and got called with a back breaking offensive foul. He probably realized he was the last person who should be driving the basket late in a game with Hibbert roaming around, but couldn’t come up with a better idea. That’s Chalmers for you. Next verse, same as the first.
What we’ve learned: Not sure if the Heat got caught taking the Pacers lightly or started to believe their own hype following the victory in Dallas, but they seemed out of sorts on Wednesday. Yes, even with a roster missing George, West, and Hill, Indiana has been a menace to start the season (they’re sixth in defensive rating per 100 possessions). But the Heat seemed to settle for jumpers and one-on-one opportunities, instead of moving the ball around with the same success they had in their first seven games.
The Heat will look to bounce back on Friday in Atlanta, as they take on their division rival, the Hawks.