Miami Heat: Matchups with Pacers will be preparation for playoffs

The Miami Heat will take on the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, and it looks to be a preview for a first-round Eastern Conference matchup. 

Miami Heat fans, you’ve waited.

The long-awaited matchup with T.J. Warren and the Indiana Pacers is here. The two teams will face off on Monday night, and again on Friday in their final game of the regular season.

And as it stands, with three games remaining, this will likely be one of the Eastern Conference’s first-round matchups come the postseason. Miami fans have been eyeing a matchup with Indiana or the Philadelphia 76ers for weeks now, and it seems to be leaning toward the former.

While the Pacers have dealt with injury concerns of their own, Victor Oladipo is getting more and more back to his old self, and Warren has been flat out on fire inside the bubble.

Indiana’s starting small forward is averaging 34.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks over the last five games. The Pacers have suffered just one loss in that span, and it was Warren’s lowest-scoring game, which is no doubt not a coincidence.

Philadelphia on the other hand is falling apart one All-Star injury at a time. 76ers point forward Ben Simmons injured his left knee last week and the team announced on Saturday that he would be leaving the bubble to undergo surgery, and is out indefinitely.

Then in a matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, big man Joel Embiid injured his left ankle and was held out of the game for the entire second half. His status has yet to be reported.

With the 76ers currently sitting behind the Pacers in the standings, it seems all the more likely that Indiana and Miami will face off in the first round as the fourth and fifth seeds. As if their two remaining regular-season matchups needed any more flare.

You no doubt remember Jimmy Butler and Warren’s grudge match from the last time these two teams played each other. They’ve had this matchup circled on their calendars since January, and while it’s taken longer than expected, will both be itching to prove the other their inferior.

It’s worth noting Miami is undefeated against Indiana in their two meetings this season.

But without big man Domantas Sabonis, this Pacers team is operating differently and relying on Myles Turner and the rest of their bench. Head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will be watching the film from their two matchups with Indiana more than anything ahead of the playoffs.

As the regular season winds down, it seems a first-round bout with the Pacers is all but inevitable. Watch both teams closely in these two games, you’ll likely be seeing them play again soon.

The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers will play the first of their two remaining games on Monday night. Tip-off is at 8:00 pm est, and coverage will be provided by NBA League Pass.