The Miami Heat took a 3-0 series lead on Indiana in their first-round series on Saturday. Reports say Indiana will get one of their stars back, but does it matter?
The Miami Heat are sitting pretty. Up 3-0 in their first-round NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, they are but one game from ending the series early.
While Saturday’s game didn’t quite go as we had hoped at some points during the game, with the Miami Heat getting out to around a 20 point lead, it did finish rather Miami Heat like.
The Heat gave up the 20 point lead, only to allow Indiana to bring it back to within two points. The Heat then kicked it into overdrive again in order to pull away from the Indiana Basketball team for good on Saturday.
Jimmy Butler had a few clutch drives, slashes, and rebounds. Bam Adebayo also had a couple of massive boards in the closing minutes of the game.
Doesn’t matter though, the Miami Heat were still able to get the victory. Now, about Game Four.
Big Pacers news here. Assuming four-day quarantine, could be back for a Wednesday Game 5 vs. Heat. Urgency level rising. https://t.co/ViUgMSt8L3
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) August 22, 2020
The Miami Heat have a chance to end their first round series on Monday. Will Domantas Sabonis keep them from doing so?
According to some and such as in the above tweets, Pacers big man extraordinaire, Domantas Sabonis should be back by Game 5. That could be an issue.
Except, it won’t be. Sabonis is a good player, but being down 3-0 in a series already, he isn’t good enough to singlehandedly bring them all the way back to victory.
At this point, I’m not even sure if he alone is enough to propel them to a single victory. Based on everything else in this season and bubble, the Pacers should have won one game by now, or are the Heat just that good?
Either way, it won’t matter though, especially Sabonis’s presence. It seems as though he’s just there as window dressing. See this tweet from NBA scoopmaster, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN story on Pacers All-Star @Dsabonis11’s return to The Bubble — support for his teammates, not a return to court. https://t.co/8oGLIhhsLN
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 22, 2020
So, that’s one less worry on the backs of the Miami Heat. He’s just there for “support”, not to play.
Well, things were already looking bleak for the Indiana Pacers and this news doesn’t really help. I would be extremely surprised if the Miami Heat don’t come out and try to handle their business, once and for all, on Monday.
They are right back at it then, in the 6:30 PM slot. We can’t wait to see it and hope they go ahead and get it done then.