The Indiana Pacers showed that they can win in a slugfest
After losing in two blistering shootouts to begin the season, the Indiana Pacers faced a stylistic shift against a defensive-minded Miami Heat team. While the team mostly struggled to catch consistent rhythm offensively, shooting a measly 39.2 percent from the floor, including 25.6 percent on triples, they still managed to win, proving that they can succeed in a slugfest.
Really, what drove the Blue and Gold towards victory here is their defense. The team managed to limit a star-studded Heat team to 91 points, a stark contrast to their putrid defensive stance against Charlotte and Washington, where they gave up 123 and 135 points, respectively. Overall, Miami shot 38.5 percent, including a 27.3 percent mark from downtown.
The Pacers’ defensive performance is even greater considering that their defensive anchor in Turner was limited to 16 minutes after a night-long foul trouble. Domas did a good job on Adebayo and Brogdon cam up big against Butler late in the game, while Justin Holiday and Oshae Brissett manned Indiana’s pesky perimeter D.