Indiana Holds On To Take Game 1 At Home
Indianapolis - The Pacers haven't collapsed yet.
The Pacers had been wanting this matchup all season long. They finally got it, and were able to execute in front of the home crowd.
"Playing here at home is different than going out on the road, obviously. We get a huge boost from the crowd, when they're happy." Were the words from head coach
Frank Vogel, in the post-game press conference.
Coach Vogel may be making a reference to the Indiana fan who heckled
Paul George a few months ago in a home game.
The Heat put up a good fight against the younger Pacers, but their game-winning three pointer from
LeBron James fell short. James had been cold from long range for the entire night, going 0 for 6.
"We just got to put more effort in, really. We don't want to lose both games on the road and go back home down two." James said to interviewers in the Heat locker room. "We both came out strong, but the second quarter was where we started to wind down."
The Heat outscored the Pacers in the fourth quarter, however, 32 to 25.
"We'll be ready. We know who we're dealing with. We'll put some more hours in at the gym like we always do and come out strong in Game 2."
Dwayne Wade said to reporters.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:
The Good - Paul George poured in 26 points on 8-16 shooting. He was perfect from the free throw line, going 8-8.
The Bad - Lance Stephenson received a technical foul in the second quarter for words said to a referee. Stephenson played 37 minutes, and scored 14 points.
"I got to control myself a bit better." Stephenson said when asked for comment. "The stakes are higher here, and I'm lucky it wasn't in the fourth quarter."
The Ugly - Norris Cole had a unappealing performance against the Pacers. Cole was benched by Spoelstra, and played only 5 minutes, scoring 2 points. He had only one attempt from the field and 2 assists. One has to wonder if it was Cole's or Spoelstra's fault for Cole's performance.