The Indiana Pacers got a much-needed win over the Heat

Friday night’s win over the Heat was an important one for the Indiana Pacers who have struggled lately. Fourth quarter woes have dropped a handful of games and the Pacers have looked fraudulent against other playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.

Without a big win on the record really this season, Indiana is still very much an outsider in championship contention. However, Friday’s win was massive for Indiana for a number of reasons.

Not all wins are equal for the Indiana Pacers

It is one thing for the Pacers, a playoff-caliber team, to knock off teams at the bottom of the conference or even to compete with the big dogs for 48 minutes. The Miami Heat dominated Indiana last season, winning three of four matchups in the regular season and sweeping the Pacers in the playoffs.

Miami is playing well right now and has pulled into fourth place in the East at the moment. The Pacers, with a record of just 18-22, sit in ninth place and have a lot of work to do before the playoffs.

That trend in the right direction may have started on Friday as the Pacers traveled to Miami and handed the Heat a 27-point loss. The Pacers knocked off the Heat 137-110 and made a statement in doing so.

Malcolm Brogdon was lights out from three, shooting 7-for-9 from downtown and leading all scorers with 27 points. Caris LeVert was the only starter to not reach double figures as he still works his legs back into shape.

T.J. McConnell came off the bench and was a major factor, adding 16 points and 15 assists while shooting 8-for-9 from the field. McDermott and Lamb combined for another 29 points off the bench.

The Pacers had the exact kind of shooting performance that they needed and they did not hold back. They shot 20-for-36 on threes as a team, good for 55.6 percent. Miami, on the other hand, shot just 9-for-34 from range.

Defensively, Indiana was active all night long. To nobody’s surprise, Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell were at the forefront of that. Turner posted five blocks and was a menace under the rim all night while McConnell was a pest in the backcourt and ended his night with three steals.

The Pacers may have found something that works. This game will provide a massive boost in the team’s confidence heading into the end of March.