Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers: Keys to a Pacers Victory in Game 6

The Indiana Pacers controlled the first half of Game 5 against the Miami Heat and led 44-40 at the break. 

However, their offense stalled in the second half, producing only 35 points—including just 13 in the third quarter—en route to a 90-79 loss.

Here are a few areas the Pacers must focus on to pull out a win in Game 6.

Paul George Must Be Assertive

With Danny Granger out for most of the season, George is the primary scoring option. In the first two games of the series, he averaged 24.5 points per contest and connected on 50 percent of his shot attempts.

However, George has not been nearly as effective at home. In Games 3 and 4, he was almost a non-factor, scoring a total of 25 points while shooting 35 percent from the field.

With the venue shifting back to Indianapolis, George will have to produce in a big way if the Pacers are going to extend the series to a seventh game.

Additional Scoring Punch

The good news is the Pacers' frontcourt trio of George, Roy Hibbert and David West combined for 66 points and shot an efficient 53 percent from the field in Game 5.

The bad news is the supporting cast was a no-show, scoring just 13 points and shooting a dismal 5-of-20 from the field.

In addition to that, the backcourt combination of George Hill and Lance Stephenson managed just five points and six turnovers.

That said, the Pacers will need other players to shoulder the scoring load if they want to avoid falling to the Heat in six games like they did a year ago.

Limit Turnovers

Turning the ball over at a high rate is never a positive. This especially holds true when you play against a Miami team that thrives off its opponents' miscues.

The Pacers committed 18 turnovers in Game 5, which led to 22 points for the Heat. During the postseason, the Pacers are now 1-6 in games when they have turned the ball over more than 17 times.

Simply put, if the Pacers continue to be careless with the basketball, their season is as good as over in Game 6.