Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 142-132 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers (9-8) on Thursday night night at Kaseya Center to snap a three-game losing skid and improve to 1-1 during its three-game homestand.
The Heat (11-8) closes the homestand with another matchup against the Pacers on Saturday: The Heat has struggled in fourth quarters this season. But on Thursday, the Heat completed its comeback win behind a dominant and historic fourth quarter. The Pacers entered with the NBA’s top offensive rating while playing at the fastest pace in the league. Like most teams, the Heat struggled to slow the Pacers’ offense down at the start.
After a 38-point first quarter, the Pacers scored another 35 points in the second quarter to enter halftime with 73 points on an ultra-efficient 61.4 percent shooting from the field and 7-of-16 (43.8 percent) shooting from three-point range.
“They’re not an easy team to defend, as you can see,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. But the Heat managed to stay within striking distance with the help of its own efficient first half. The Heat took advantage of a Pacers team that entered with the NBA’s third-worst defensive rating, scoring 64 points on 53.5 percent shooting from the field in the first two quarters.
The result was a nine-point Pacers lead entering halftime. The Heat, which trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, continued to cut into that lead with the help of a 16-point third quarter from Jimmy Butler to enter the final period trailing by just three. Then the Heat took full control of the game. On the way to taking its first lead of the night with 10:07 left in the fourth quarter, the Heat began the final period with a 28-9 run to pull ahead by 16 points with 4:11 to play.
The Pacers had one last push in them, cutting the deficit to six points multiple times in the final minute of the game. But that’s the closest Indiana got. The Heat, which entered with the NBA’s second-worst fourth-quarter net rating this season, won Thursday behind a standout fourth quarter.
Miami outscored Indiana 45-32 in the final period to turn a three-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter into a 10-point win. The Heat didn’t miss many shots down the stretch, shooting 15 of 18 (83.3 percent) from the field, 2 of 2 on threes and 13 of 14 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to earn the comeback win.
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