NBA Playoffs 2012: Miami Should Still Be Worried Despite Decisive Game 1 Victory
It's all too easy to count the Miami Heat's Game 1 victory against the Indiana Pacers as an outcome we all saw coming.
Sure, we did see it coming, but that doesn't mean this series will be quite the cakewalk some may have envisioned.
While a nine-point victory is certainly something to be proud of, there are still some troubling signs for Erik Spoelstra's team of superstars.
After all, it isn't so much that the Pacers had a bad game as a really bad fourth quarter. Frank Vogel's club led by six at the half thanks to a diet of Roy Hibbert and David West taking it to Miami's thin front line in the paint.
As expected, the Heat had difficulty stopping the Pacers' post-players in Game 1, including Tyler Hansbrough, who added an efficient eight points off the bench. Hibbert and West combined for 34 points on just 24 field-goal attempts, and it's hard to imagine they won't get more looks at the series goes on.
If Chris Bosh's abdominal injury continues to affect him in Game 2 and beyond, the Pacers' advantage inside could become even more dramatic.
Bosh was in visible discomfort during the first half of Game 1 and didn't return for the second. He'd already scored 13 points for Miami, but the bigger question will be how effectively the Heat can defend the post without Bosh—or, at any rate, without him playing at 100 percent.
Miami should also be concerned about the fact that Indiana played three strong quarters without any meaningful contributions from Danny Granger or Paul George, who together combined for just 13 points on 2-15 shooting.
While George also struggled in the first round against Orlando, Granger averaged over 21 points per game in that series. He's a streaky shooter to be sure, but that can cut both ways. If the Heat find themselves on the wrong side of Granger's up-and-down scoring, this series could remain much closer than most anticipated.
Indiana also proved that its guard rotation could give Miami some fits. George Hill, Darren Collison and Leandro Barbosa combined for 29 points, more or less equaling the production of a star point guard via a more ensemble effort.
There's still very little doubt that Miami has a distinct edge in this series.
Indiana looked helpless to stop LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the fourth quarter, and the Pacers' rotation was plagued with foul trouble throughout the second half. The Heat made it to the free-throw line 38 times when it was all said and done.
It goes without saying that the Pacers' solid defense and rebounding advantage won't count for much if Miami can get to that line at will.
Nevertheless, the Heat sent some mixed messages Sunday afternoon.
Yes, LeBron had a monster game and Dwyane Wade added 29 points. But this was by no means a blowout. It seemed instead to be proof that the Miami Heat are ever so vulnerable...even when they don't lose.
