Heat vs. Pacers Game 1: Indiana strikes first for 1-0 series lead

What’s odd about this situation is that Indiana never really relied on Hibbert’s offense in the regular season. He was the team’s No. 4 scorer at 10 points per game, shooting a painfully low percentage (44 percent) for a 7-footer. He used less than one out of every five possessions when on the court, which is typically the mark of an offensive role player, not an All-Star.

But, of course, Hibbert is an All Star because of his defense. He’s one of the best stoppers in the league, using his 7’2 frame, long arms and smarts to make life difficult in the paint for opponents. Among the 77 players who defended at least five shots in the paint per game, Hibbert conceded the second lowest opponent shooting percentage. This is his skill: closing down the lane to aggressors. He’s very good at it, and it’s a very important skill to have.

Mike Epps would like you to know he’s “here.” There’s one problem, though: we don’t know where “here” is.

If Epps is referring to Indiana as “here,” then there’s an issue. The Heat weren’t wearing black today -- they wore red. It’s hardly the most subtle variance.

But Indiana never let up, finishing the game strong and cruising to victory. The Pacers will look to go up 2-0 in the series on Tuesday.

Indiana and Miami split the regular season series 2-2 with the home team winning each game. That might confirm to the Pacers that their goal of winning homecourt advantage means something, and it will be put to the test beginning on Sunday in the series opener at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. But here’s how the regular season panned out and how else it could allude to the upcoming series.

The Heat overcame a 15-point deficit in the second half and found a three-point lead thanks to Ray Allen’s clutch shooting down the stretch. George had a chance to tie the game with a three at the buzzer, but missed despite the referees deciding against blowing their whistles on a controversial no-call.

Jackson left the television booth in 2011 when he was hired by Golden State. After a poor first season, Jackson led the Warriors to two straight postseason berths. But despite 51 wins this year, Jackson was fired due to an ongoing clash with the front office. Jackson has been replaced by Steve Kerr, another television analyst who had no head coaching experience prior to getting hired by Golden State.