The Miami Heat were 1-3 across their last four games coming into their Wednesday night matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Also dealing with what could still be a tumultuous NBA Trade Deadline, with anxiety surely building up amongst the team over a move that may potentially be made, they would have to put all that in the back of their minds on Wednesday evening.
As for all of their focus was needed on the matchup before them. Against a team that had already beaten them two out of the three previous times they’ve faced off this year, the Miami Heat would come out to do the job in good fashion, led by their two best players in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
And while the Miami Heat stars would shine on their own accords, the Miami Heat, as a team, would proceed to limit the Indiana Pacers’ best players from getting to their best stuff. Jimmy Butler was his same destructive self throughout, terrorizing the Pacers at every chance he got near the rim and in the paint.
He would finish with 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Bam Adebayo shined as well, continuing to flourish in the midrange game on this particular night.
And in fact, Bam would not only flourish in the midrange, but he would dominate the game there with his ability to knock the shot down off multiple platforms and with a defender in his grill.
The Miami Heat needed a win Wednesday, going 1-3 across the last four games. And behind their top two guys, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, they got it.
He would finish with 38 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
He would also contribute mightily to his scoring totals from the free throw line, going 14 and 14 on his attempts from the charity stripe. Again, limiting the Pacers’ best player in Tyrese Haliburton on the night to just 11 points on 3-8 from the field, the Miami Heat certainly did their jobs there as well.
The Miami Heat would also overcome a three-point shooting disparity in this game, something that usually hurts them tremendously. Only making six of their 19 attempts, Indiana would make 15 of the 33 threes they shot.
However and while Adebayo, himself, was great from the free throw stripe, the Miami Heat, as a team, were good enough from the charity stripe, going 36-39 overall, to help themselves overcome such a gap in three-point shooting prowess.
Splitting the season series with the Pacers, it allows them to continue to thrive to place themselves in the position they want to be as they head into the All-Star break.
They are supposed to win these games, yes, but no wins are easy in the NBA and it’s always good to see them do it behind some foundational stuff, such as defense and their stars shining.