The Miami HEAT defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-100 in overtime Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Chris Bosh led the way for the HEAT with 31 points and 11 rebounds.
1. The Captains Take Charge
With the HEAT down late in the game, Wade and Bosh answered the call. The two combined for 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime period combined and willed the team to victory.
Early on, Bosh primarily attacked the rim and got to the free throw line often. That, of course, was before he nailed a huge three off the pick-and-pop with Goran Dragic to give Miami a 93-92 lead with 1:03 left in the fourth. Soon thereafter, Bosh fought hard for an offensive board in overtime and hit one of two free throws to give the HEAT the lead for good.
Wade, meanwhile started to assert himself a bit more in the third quarter with Paul George starting to find the range. The vet attacked the teeth of Indiana’s defense, worked well in the post and fought hard on the glass in the period. As a result, Wade scored 13 of his 27 points in the third to cut the Pacers’ lead to eight entering the fourth quarter. In that quarter, the 33-year-old converted a layup at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.
While he obviously played his best late in the game, Wade also had a fantastic highlight early on in the contest.
With 6:27 left in the first, Bosh grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it to Dragic. Dragic then pushed it down court and threw a pin-point lob pass to Wade, who went up high to throw it down over C.J. Miles. It truly was a spectacular play from Miami’s backcourt duo.
In addition to his 27 points, Wade also tallied eight boards and three assists on Monday night.
2. Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson Provide a Spark
Both Winslow and Johnson had great performances against Indiana. Winslow did his best to slow down George and guarded him masterfully on a few possessions. The rookie not only made sure he contested George’s outside shots, but also stayed with him stride for stride on drives to the hoop. On the flip side of the ball, Winslow scored four of his seven points in the fourth quarter and also grabbed a huge offensive rebound in overtime that led to him sinking a free throw.
Johnson, meanwhile, fought hard for everything he got and did most of his damage inside. He also had a huge back-tap in the fourth to keep a possession alive. In all, the two-year player finished the game with eight points and eight rebounds.
3. Dragic Gets Things Going
Dragic was red-hot to start the contest, scoring six points in the period on 3-of-4 shooting. He did so off aggressive takes to the rack. On one of those drives, he hit Jordan Hill with the nifty spin-move before finishing the reverse layup.
Once the fourth came around, the Slovenian continued to bully his way inside. No matter which Pacer big was there, it didn’t matter. Dragic found a way to convert among the trees. He ended up tallying 13 points and four assists on 50 percent shooting against Indiana.
Game Notes: Josh McRoberts (knee) and Hassan Whiteside (knee) sat out. Chris Andersen replaced Whiteside in the starting lineup.
