Tuesday night NBA and we will see the Miami Heat travel to Indianapolis, Indiana to take on the Indiana Pacers in game 2 of their best-of seven series. The game has a start time of 8:30 pm (Eastern) and will be televised on ESPN. Vegas odds have the Heat listed as 3 point favorites, while the total sits at 184.5.
Analysis: The Miami Heat came into the Eastern Conference Finals having lost just 1 post-season game thus far, but they were really not playing all that well and the Indiana Pacers exposed that with a 107-96 win in game 1. The home team is now 9-0 SU the last 9 meetings. The Heat have averaged a solid 101.9 ppg on 50% shooting for the year, while in the playoffs they have averaged 99.2 ppg on 49.0% shooting. In the playoffs the offense has been led by whoever but Lebron James, who is averaging 29.5 ppg so far, while also leading the team in rebounding at 7.4 rpg and assists (4.7). Dwayne Wade (18.8 ppg) and Chris Bosh (14.0 ppg) have also averaged in double figures for the Heat so far. Defensively Miami was a solid bunch this year, allowing just 96.9 ppg (5th) on 45.7% shooting (16th) overall and in the playoffs they have been even better, allowing just 93.7 ppg on 46.3% shooting.
The Indiana Pacers came into the playoffs as the number 1 seed in the East and at times they didn’t really look like, but in game 1 of this series they put it all together to take out the Heat by 11 points. The Pacers are now 39-10 SU at home this year. The Pacers have struggled to score this year, but that was not the case in Game 1 as they surprised the Heat with a smaller lineup and put up 107 points in the game. Still they are averaging just 92.5 ppg on 44.8% shooting in the post-season thus far. In the playoffs Paul George has led the team in scoring at 22.1 ppg, while also leading them in rebounding at 8.4 rpg. David West (14.9 ppg), George Hill (12.2 ppg) and Lance Stephenson (13.7 ppg) have also averaged in double figures for the Pacers. The Pacers have hung their hat on the defensive end of the floor this year and it has been no different in the playoffs, as they have allowed just 90.3 ppg on 41.1% shooting in the post-season so far.
Pick: I really do not think the Heat will go down 0-2 in this series, so I will back them here. They are the better team and will not be surprised again by the smallish lineup that the Pacers will throw at them. The Heat will make the Proper adjustments and head back to Miami with the series tied at 1 game apiece. Miami is 10-3 ATS following a loss of 10 or more, while the Pacers are just 3-15 ATS following a game in which they put up 100 or more points. Heat by at least 7 in this one.
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