NBA Playoffs schedule 2013: Pacers shut down LeBron James late, even series

The series has been physical and the margin that separates these two teams is razor thin at the moment, so it’s no surprise that players on both sides are trying to create advantages any way they can. Here’s a look at the double-flop that caused James and West to be slapped with fines:

And this is the phantom elbow flop that cost Lance Stephenson $5,000:

Game 2 between the Pacers and Heat was just as awesome as Game 1. Let us consult the GIFs!

The first half started fine, but got kinda ugly. There were a lot of foul calls and some pretty bizarre turnovers. Just ask Roy Hibbert:

Chandler Parsons had the tweet of the night, though:

You have to make plays to earn genuine respect in the NBA. Make those plays in critical moments of high-profile playoff games and that respect turns into star status.

The play passed assertive to the land of vicious. George also drew a foul on Birdman, who apparently splattered all over George Hill’s shirt on the play. The fantastic finish at the rim temporarily put the Pacers up five until LeBron closed the quarter with a long three, then gave George a little dap while telling him, “I got you back, young fella.”

The Pacers learned their lesson in Game 2. It helped lead to a crucial 97-93 road win that evened up the Eastern Conference Finals.

“We stress containment and we learned from Game 1,” Hibbert said. “Paul (George) did a good job of keeping him in front and we shrunk the lane. Luckily, David (West) was able to get a hand on those passes and George (Hill) hit some free throws.”

Better avoid getting dunked on in the future, Birdman.

On the following possession, LeBron turned the ball over again with a bad pass attempt through the lane. Hill went to the line with 8.3 seconds after being intentionally fouled and sunk both shots, giving the Pacers a four-point lead. Chris Bosh missed a desperation three-pointer in the closing seconds, icing the win for Indiana.

Unlike in Game 1, Roy Hibbert was on the floor for nearly the entire fourth quarter. LeBron wasn’t able to get any easy layups.

Chris Bosh hit a big three to extend Miami’s lead in the fourth quarter of Game 2. As is customary, he let out the signature yowling Call of the Bosh in celebration.

Magnificent, isn’t it? Rarely seen in the wild. Eh, no it’s not. He howls like a banshee after pretty much everything he does.

And here’s video, via Ben Golliver:

LeBron immediately raced the other way and drilled a buzzer-beating three, because he’s very good, too. Just cool extremely talented basketball bros here:

Miller doesn’t play much these days, so yeah, even shooting a three without contact is enough to apparently injure his midsection.

But yo, that pass! People can’t do that. The gulf in physical fitness between the two protagonists of this GIF is remarkable.

The Pacers appear to be in control of the game. The pace favors them, and they’ve really dug in on the defensive end. Now it’s just a matter of weathering the storm when the Heat inevitably make their push in the second half.

Prior to Game 2, Drew Garrison focused on a couple of key aspects for tonight’s game.

We’ve all been there.

Zach Harper compared it to bacon. Many have invoked the Fruit Stripe gum brand name. Whatever it looks like to you, I think you’ll agree it looks exceptionally garish, even for a man as famous for outrageous outfits as Craig Sager.

One of Indiana’s biggest problems as a team on offense is the amount of turnovers they commit. In Game 1 they gave up 20 turnovers that Miami converted into 18 points. Indiana must take care of the ball to stake their claim amongst the NBA’s elite teams. Unfortunately being turnover prone has been a trend for Indiana, as they’ve averaged 16.2 turnovers per game through the playoffs after committing a turnover on 14.3 percent of their offensive possessions through the regular season (27th out of 30). Indiana’s offense will have trouble scoring against a swarming Heat defense, but turning it over without even getting a shot up is an even larger obstacle to overcome.

Hibbert is the biggest big man in this series at 7’2. Vogel’s decision to sit his defensive anchor in Game 1 has been debated up and down, but what’s done is done. What matters now for Indiana is their plan going forward. Vogel explained that the Heat had a better plan of attack against Hibbert and will adjust accordingly, but Miami has the personnel to stretch Indiana’s defense. Hibbert went 9-of-18 for 19 points while also grabbing nine rebounds (seven offensive) and blocking two shots.

Game 2 is Friday in Miami at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Will the Pacers bounce back and finish the job they started in Game 1? Can Miami take both games in the series before heading to Indiana? Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals should be another must-watch playoff game.

The Pacers should always spread the floor, not give Miami less court to defend. All four of Indiana’s players are on the opposite side. This allows the Heat to load up and help on Hibbert. If he had a single teammate on his side of the court he would have been able to either pass it out so he can re-post or have one less defender digging into the paint. Instead, he forces up a tough shot.

The blame doesn’t all belong to Indiana’s spacing, however. Hibbert needs to be more aware of the defense and his teammates’ positioning. Miami was aggressive at sending extra help on Hibbert, which can be exploited by moving the ball once an extra defender commits.

Here’s James’ game-winning layup where he finished with his left hand, after driving left against Paul George, with only seconds left in overtime:

If the Pacers agreed with Jordan’s evaluation prior to Game 1, they have every reason to disagree after losing to James’ left hand in overtime. The NBA’s MVP can not only drive to his right or left, but he can finish with either hand, too. Go figure.