Miami Heat: 3 takeaways from Game 2 win over Indiana Pacers

The Miami Heat secured a 2-0 series lead over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. A look at three takeaways from the commanding victory.

Once again, the Miami Heat walked onto a court with the Indiana Pacers and left that same court as the victors. It’s now a 2-0 series lead for Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and company, with Game 3 scheduled for Saturday afternoon, and Game 4 set for next Monday.

The story of the game was offense, with the Heat knocking down 18-of-35 shots from behind the arc, equaling out to a 51.4 shooting percentage–not bad. Miami was less accurate from deep in Game One, where they connected on just 13-of-35 attempts (37.1 percent).

Duncan Robinson started them off in the first quarter when he made three straight threes. He ended the game with 24 points and seven shots made from three-point territory.

Miami’s alpha, Butler, didn’t have a bad game either: 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. He also made two of his three-shot attempts from deep, a glowing improvement from his 24 percent shooting mark from the regular season.

The Pacers lucked out with what has become a vintage-level performance for rehabbing, star guard Victor Oladipo. He finished with 22 points, four assists, and a pair of steals in the loss. But even with the entire starting lineup notching double-digit points numbers, it wasn’t enough.

A look at three takeaways from the Miami Heat’s Game 2 win.

As anticipated, Jimmy Butler has certainly turned “it” on for the playoffs.

When Pat Riley and the front office brought Butler to South Beach, there was an expectation in place with their establishing an alpha on this roster. And he’s exceeded that expectation by resuming his superstar form now that the Heat are in the postseason.

In his two games of this series, Butler has tallied: 46 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, six steals, and two blocks while knocking down 16 of his 20 free throw opportunities.

This is what superstars do. Butler has scored when it was most needed while commanding the respect of the opponent that places him at the charity stripe time and time again.

His stepping up and knocking down threes is the ultimate example of your number one option adapting to what the team needs and flat out executing. “Playoff Jimmy” is here. It’s a real thing, not just a wave to ride on; and he’s leading the Heat through the playoffs.

Andre Iguodala still has plenty left in the tank for Miami’s playoff push.

It’s possible that not even Pat Riley and this Miami Heat front office were one hundred percent sure on Andre Iguodala’s health and conditioning when they traded for the 36-year old veteran.

But he’s made good on their gamble already in their first two playoff games. Especially in Game 2, where Iguodala tallied seven points, two rebounds, an assist, a steal, and two blocks. The 2015 Finals MVP was everywhere, particularly on defense, aiding Miami in the victory.

If head coach Erik Spoelstra can continue to get this level of production from Iguodala, not only will their trade deadline deal have paid off, but this Miami team will prove all the more dangerous.

When Duncan Robinson gets going, so do the Miami Heat.

It should no longer be a debate.

The Miami Heat’s offense doesn’t live and die by Duncan Robinson’s success (or lack thereof), but he’s damn important to what they do on that end of the ball.

When he came out and started three-for-three from deep in the first quarter of Game 2, the entire Heat offense started out on the right foot. Indiana had managed to hold Robinson to just six points on two-of-eight shooting from behind the arc, leading to offensive struggles for the Heat.

Miami’s offense runs on three-point efficiency. Having their best shooter in his zone and knocking down his shots not only keeps them afloat but pushes them to another level. Look for coach Spoelstra to continue finding ways to get Robinson his shots for the rest of this series.

The Miami Heat will look to make it a 3-0 series lead on Saturday. Tip-off is at 3:30 pm est, and Game 3 coverage will be provided by TNT and TNT Overtime.