Game 13: Miami Heat – Friday, 8:00 PM
Say what you want about the Heat, but they find a way to beat the Pacers all the time.
Remember that awful night last year when Miami won in Bankers Life thanks to 1/18 shooting from the Pacers from deep? That type of stuff seems to always happen against Miami.
The Heat currently leads the NBA in offensive rebound rate with a number north of 28 percent. Between Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo, the Heat crash the offensive glass better than anyone. That is a nightmare for Indiana, who despite improvements is still below average on the glass at best. Expect a healthy dose of Sabonis in this one to try and mitigate that problem.
The Heat just have a bunch of slightly above average NBA players to go with three very good ones in Whiteside, Goran Dragic, and Josh Richardson. Richardson is averaging over 20 a game this season and is an astute defender. Good luck handling him.
Thaddeus Young always seems to play well against the Heat. Last season, he averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds per game in this matchup. His defense will be key in this one too – without James Johnson for Miami he can roam a bit on D and be a disruptor.
Overall, though, the rebounding makes this a tough game for Indiana. The Heat are also debuting their new black Miami VIce jerseys and corresponding court. They and the crowd will be amped up.
Prediction: Heat over Pacers 111-98
This week is tough, but the Indiana Pacers showed last week they can handle any challenge. It will be incredible to watch how they respond to all these close games.