Pacers at Heat
The Indiana Pacers had little trouble beating the defending champion Miami Heat at home last week. The Pacers will attempt to prove they can do the same on the road when they visit the Heat on Wednesday. Indiana suffered its first home loss on Monday but still owns the top record in the Eastern Conference by two games over Miami, which will bring an 11-2 home record and the memory of a Game 7 win in the Eastern Conference finals into the meeting.
Homecourt advantage played a big role in the series between the Heat and the Pacers last spring, with the home team winning each of the final four games. One key to those games - and most games - for Miami was reigning MVP LeBron James, who will be a game-time decision after missing practice on Tuesday with a sprained left ankle. “Treatment was better,” coach Eric Spoelstra told reporters. “It’s not the first time he’s gone through it with that ankle. “A lot of treatment (Tuesday), a lot of rest, and we’ll see how he feels (Wednesday).”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Indiana, Sun Sports (Miami)
ABOUT THE PACERS (20-4): Indiana may have gotten caught looking ahead in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, when Roy Hibbert (2-for-12) and Paul George (4-for-14) suffered through sub-par efforts in a 101-96 setback. The Pacers have not won a regular-season game in Miami since Nov. 2010, but offer matchup advantages over the Heat with Hibbert, George and David West going up against a smaller front line. “Just going to do what I always do,” Hibbert said. “Try to play aggressive on the offensive end, clog up the paint and guard shooters.”
ABOUT THE HEAT (18-6): Miami’s 90-84 loss at Indiana marked its lowest point total of the season and James was limited to 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting. James, who averaged 27.5 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the Heat’s last two games, is taking the long-term view on his ankle injury and is not ready to declare the meeting with the Pacers as a pivotal contest. “I’m going to sit if I’m not feeling comfortable,” James told reporters. “It doesn’t matter who we are playing. Obviously, if it was a playoff game, I would play. We are a long-term team, and I am a long-term player.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The loss to Indiana marked the only time in the last five games that James did not shoot at least 66.7 percent from the field.
2. Pacers F Danny Granger (calf) is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the Houston Rockets.
3. Indiana F Lance Stephenson put up a career-high 23 points on Monday and is averaging 21.5 on 64.3 percent shooting in the last two games.