Pacers at Heat
The Miami Heat placed the on-off switch firmly in the “on” position to take control of the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat will try to keep their energy at that level and earn a commanding 3-1 lead in the series when they host the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 on Monday. The Pacers have appeared to be the dominant team in the series for long stretches in each game but failed to put together the necessary run in the fourth quarter of the last two contests.
The Pacers raced out to a 17-4 lead in the first quarter and were up 15 early in the second in Game 3 before letting Miami up off the mat. “You can’t play around with this team,” Indiana forward Paul George told reporters of the Heat. “I thought we got comfortable at one point early in the game, you know, just being up early. This game is all about runs, and ultimately the team that makes the biggest run or the last run is the team that’s going to win.” That team was Miami with a 12-2 fourth-quarter run to spark Game 2’s 87-83 win and then a 61-45 advantage over Indiana in the second half of Game 3.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE PACERS: The concern prior to Game 3 was the health of George, who had to pass concussion protocols before being cleared to play. George never found much of a rhythm offensively while being guarded primarily by LeBron James but still managed to lead the team in scoring with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting. George was also one of several players dealing with foul trouble. “We didn’t manage our foul trouble well and didn’t manage (the Heat) picking up their defensive intensity well,” coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “I though we attacked appropriately but didn’t finish plays, and obviously turned it over a little too much and let them get going.”
ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami got a big boost in the fourth quarter of Game 3 from Ray Allen, who hit four 3-pointers in the period and finished with 16 points. “That’s kind of like my territory,” Allen told reporters. “The flow of the game doesn’t come in my direction early in the game. … But in the fourth quarter, if a guy is guarding me and just thinks I’m here biding time, I’m not. I’m just trying to figure out how I can have an impact.” Allen’s strong game came as a compliment to another solid performance from James, who is averaging 24.3 points on 58 percent shooting in the series.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Heat are 6-0 at home during the playoffs.
2. Indiana C Roy Hibbert grabbed two rebounds in Game 3 after averaging 11 in the first two contests.
3. Miami F Rashard Lewis made his first appearance of the series with 17 minutes off the bench in Game 3.