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| Paul George and LeBron James traded clutch shots in OT. LBJ ended with the last shot and the Game 1 win (Image from: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) |
This game could have gone either way. Miami had the best chance to win in regulation when they were up 2 and Ray Allen was shooting 2 FTs. Allen is among the best in NBA history but he made only 1 of 2 which gave the Heat a 3-point lead. On the ensuing possession for the Pacers, Paul George made a very tough three from about 30 feet and sent the game to OT. In overtime, the Pacers were up 3 until Chris Bosh connected on an offensive rebound (his 2nd rebound) and was fouled. Bosh made the FT and tied the game. With the game tied at 99, Miami had the ball and LeBron drove to the rim unhindered to give the Heat the lead. Indiana almost lost the ball to a steal but George recovered and hoisted a contested three which he missed badly. Heat win, right? Nope, because Dwyane Wade was called for a foul and it was his sixth. The foul call on Wade was debatable and the replay was inconclusive. Anyway, Paul George made all 3 FTs to give Indy a 1-point lead with 2.2 seconds left. That was all the time LBJ needed as he received a pass from Battier, then James drove left and finished with a lefty layup that was uncontested as time expired. Miami escaped with the win and LeBron collected a triple-double.
#PG24 #RimProtector #BadDecision
Paul George went back and forth from goat to hero a couple of times during the 4th quarter and overtime. George started it poorly in regulation with a bad pass when the Pacers needed a basket. He was not totally all to to blame for that turnover since the Pacers had players standing at the sideline which George might have mistaken as an open teammate. PG24 made up for that gaffe by nailing a desperation trey from at least 25 feet which sent the game to OT. George almost became the hero in overtime when he made all three FTs to give the Pacers the lead. With 2.2 seconds left and Miami ball, George made the mistake of paying too much attention to other players. George should have fronted LBJ to force him to a jumper but PG24 overplayed his left side which gave LBJ all the daylight he needed. That left LeBron with a better angle when he got the ball and the rest is history. Now, Roy Hibbert was not in the game for the winning play and the previous defensive play as well. Both plays resulted into layups for LeBron. Coach Vogel took Hibbert out twice to match the smaller unit of Miami. Vogel defended his decision by saying that he was worried about Bosh (or other shooters) getting an open jumper. There was no rim protector thus, LBJ attacked the basket without fear. Vogel said that probably wont happen again in the future.
#Birdman #PsychoT #rebounds
Chris Andersen has only experienced 4 losses while playing 52 games for the Heat this season. He played huge coming off the bench during the first 2 rounds of the playoffs and his contributions in Game 1 were amazing. His energy and hustle negated the impact of Tyler Hansbrough who had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Andersen even got a technical foul for shoving Hansbrough during one of their skirmishes. Birdman was super efficient offensively as he shot 7 of 7 to finish with 16 points (playoff career-high), 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Most of his baskets were dunks due to his constant movement and cutting to the rim. Andersen also managed to play decent defense on Hibbert and West. Meanwhile, PsychoT was no slouch either as he constantly attacked the boards and gobbled up second chance points. The Pacers won the rebounding battle but not by a very big margin (+5). Credit goes to LeBron (10 boards), Haslem (7) and Wade (6) who kept the Heat competitive on the glass. Bosh was a non-factor with just 2 rebounds.
The Pacers showed the Heat that they can certainly hang with them and they almost escaped with a Game 1 win. Miami could not stop David West in the first half although he cooled off in the second half due to foul trouble. Expect Miami to keep throwing different defenders at West and getting him in foul trouble again would be a priority. Haslem, Bosh, Battier and Andersen all had turns on him but West still finished with 26 points on 11-17 shooting. Maybe putting LBJ on West for a few possessions might be explored. Miami needs to get more from Ray Allen who finished with 4 points on 1-7 shooting and missed a crucial FT in regulation. There's a chance Mario Chalmers doesnt play in Game 2 or Chalmers could be limited so Allen needs to step up. Chris Bosh needs to collect more rebounds. He had 2 (two!) rebounds and was constantly pushed around for offensive rebounds by the Pacers. Miami cant expect Coach Vogel to make the same mistake of sitting Hibbert in the clutch so they need to constantly attack Hibbert with pick and rolls to get him tired and in foul trouble. Both teams need to cut down on their turnovers and sloppiness. It was an ugly game in the first half but things changed after halftime and in OT.
#Stats #News
- For a smaller team, Heat had 9 blocks to 2 from Hibbert and Pacers
- David West outscored the Big 3 at the half, 18-17
- James has 9 career triple-doubles in the playoffs
- Both teams combined for 41 turnovers
- Largest lead was 7 points by the Pacers
- 58 total fouls were called including 9 offensive fouls
LeBron James (Heat) - 30 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks plus the game-winner!
#Highlights of the Night
LBJ FTW
Whatashot by George
#Tweets of the Night
Who was Hibbert supposed to guard? Tyler Hansbrough was on Ray Allen. Talk about a mismatch. C'mon man. Great play by LeBron. Period!
Vogel should apologize to his team for sabotaging their chance to win...Enormous coaching mistake...not once but twice...
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