LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — After a four month hiatus the NBA Playoffs are in full effect and the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat went at it on Tuesday afternoon in Game 1. When the smoke finally cleared the Heat were on fire winning it 107-95. Down the stretch it was just too much Jimmy “Buckets!” Ole boy led the Heat with 28 points on 8-15 shooting. He knocked down two huge three-pointers down the stretch to help the Heat pull away. Goran Dragic who scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half wasn’t a slouch either.
Miami jumped out of the ride and went on a 5-0 run. Indiana quickly settled down and got right back into the mix knotting it up at 16 apiece at the 5:07 mark of the first quarter. Edmond Sumner’s fast break layup put the Blue and Gold up for the first time 20-18 with 4:06 left in the first quarter. They shot 10 free throw attempts in the first seven and a half minutes of the game.
Unfortunately, Victor Oladipo got poked in the left eye by Jae Crowder early in the first quarter. He was taken to the locker room for observation after sinking two free throws and never returned. He was eventually transported to the hospital according to Nate McMillan after the game. They didn’t just fall apart. As a matter of fact, they reloaded by shooting that thang and getting to the rack. At the end of the first quarter they were up 33-27.
The Heat went on a 7-0 run to knot it up at 37-37 early in the second quarter.
Indiana turned the ball over 6 times in the second quarter giving the Heat opportunities to hang around. TJ Warren was cold after the 9 minute mark of the first quarter and couldn’t find a rhythm. However, Justin Holiday came off of the bench and went 3 for 3 from three-point range scoring 9 of his 11 points.
At the break Miami led 56-52. Malcolm Brogdon was the only Pacer in double figures at the time as he scored 10 of his 22 points in the first half.
Indiana closed out the third quarter on an 18-9 run. However, the Heat stayed the course outscoring the Pacers in the fourth quarter by 11 points.
Again, Jimmy Butler was too much as Goran Dragic road shotgun. Bam Adebayo finished with 17 points as Tyler Herro dropped off 15 for the Heat.
Both TJ Warren and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 22 points each for the Pacers. Justin Holiday had 11 points and JaKarr Sampson finished with 10 points off of the bench. Up next Game 2 on Thursday.
