Pacers vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
The Miami Heat (9-17) started the month 1-5, but they've now won back-to-back games following a resilient 95-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers (13-13) Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.
Miami's second consecutive win was anchored by a sensational performance from center Hassan Whiteside, who finished with 26 points (10-of-16 shooting) and 22 rebounds. Whiteside joined Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins as the only players to record at least 25 points and 20 rebounds in a game this season.
As if that wasn't impressive enough, Whiteside now owns two 20-point, 20-rebound efforts this season—one shy of Drummond's league-leading total of three.
Miami's bench complemented Whiteside in a big way, and a trio of contributors stood out.
Tyler Johnson led all Heat reserves with 15 points, five rebounds and four blocks, while James Johnson added 14 points and six assists. Josh Richardson chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and three dimes on a night when Miami's bench contributed 43 points.
Paul George paced Indiana with 22 points and seven rebounds, and center Myles Turner stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 11 points, seven rebounds and five blocks.
However, the Pacers' rising star couldn't outshine Whiteside.
In 17 minutes that spanned portions of the first and second quarters, Whiteside posted 20 points and 14 rebounds. To put those figures in perspective, the Pacers scored 18 paint points and pulled down 18 rebounds as a team in the first half.
According to ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter, Whiteside's 20 points and 14 rebounds in the first half both represented season highs, while the 20 points matched his career high for the first half. He also became the first Heat player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2004 to post 20 points and 10 boards in the first half, per the NBA on ESPN.
The Heat's official Twitter account relayed highlights of the breakout effort:
And while the Heat nearly doubled Indiana's rebounding total in the first half (35-18), their scoring ceiling was lowered due to an abundance of turnovers.
Miami coughed up the rock 10 times in the first quarter alone, and that number proved to be significant, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
Despite the shaky start, Miami finished the first quarter down one point and was able to take a slim one-point edge into the break.
But even though the Heat withstood first-half struggles, they couldn't quiet George.
Indiana's alpha dog started to percolate, dropping 11 points in the third quarter alone to help propel the Pacers back in front momentarily.
However, the Pacers cooled considerably at the start of the fourth quarter, and Couper Moorhead of the Heat's official website pointed to one reason for their sudden silence on offense:
The Heat proceeded to stretch their lead to seven points with 3:30 remaining in regulation, and the Pacers couldn't quite break through even though they had a plethora of chances to knot the score at 92 with a three.
Thanks to its composure down the stretch, Miami will have a chance to extend its winning streak to three when the Los Angeles Clippers come to town Friday evening.
The Pacers, however, will seek to get back in the win column when they suit up for the second night of a back-to-back Thursday versus the New Orleans Pelicans.
Postgame Reaction
Fox Sports Florida provided video of Whiteside discussing his monster effort:
Beyond Whiteside, James Johnson was a big point of discussion after the win thanks to his 14-point, six-assist effort.
"He's gaining confidence," Head head coach Erik Spoelstra said, per the team's Twitter account. "We want him to continue to work, there's still another level he can go to."
Positives weren't as prevalent for the Pacers, who reflected on a game that got away.
"We just weren’t hitting shots," Turner said, according to the Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor. "We got good looks. We just couldn’t will it in. We played a great defensive game. It sucks."
"It’s always frustrating when it’s winnable, must-win games," George added, per Taylor. "This is a game that we should have won."
