Heat vs. Pacers, NBA playoffs 2014: Game time, TV schedule, radio and more
Miami has a chance to close out the Pacers in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana was back to its new, old self in Game 4. LeBron James took over, Chris Bosh finally had a good game in the Eastern Conference Finals and Roy Hibbert was nowhere to be found. Now, Miami is just one game away from closing out the Pacers and advancing to the NBA Finals.
Indiana's patented defense broke down early and often on Monday, allowing the Heat penetrators to get past them to draw fouls. The Pacers lost the foul battle, 27-17, and Miami shot 17 more free throws than Indiana.
It also helped that LeBron James was unstoppable.
Roy Hibbert was particularly embarrassing, going scoreless for the fourth time in this postseason. Indiana’s starting center registered just five rebounds, one assist and a block in 22 minutes of play. Hibbert told reporters that it was part of coach Frank Vogel’s gameplan not to have him score much.
If that is the case, the question is where the rest of the Pacers' offense supposed to have come from? David West and Paul George played admirably, but Lance Stephenson was silent and the Indiana bench contributed just 23 points.
Miami is having a great go of things after a miserable Game 1, having adjusted their pick-and-roll defense and opened up their offense. The Heat have been forced to go small with Chris Andersen injured, which has worked wonders against the immobile Hibbert.
The Heat are just 48 minutes away from their fourth Finals appearance in as many years. Indiana doesn’t look prepared to stop them, but if they can, it will have to start on the offensive side of the ball. For all the talk, it’s been Miami that’s said the most with their play in this series.
Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Doris Burke
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