Pacers vs. Heat: Game 2 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

The Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat went back and forth during the Game 2 matchup of the Eastern Conference semifinals at AmericanAirlines Arena, but the Pacers eventually came out with the close victory, 78-75, to tie the series at one game apiece. 

It wasn't always pretty, but you can't say the ending to this game wasn't exciting.

After the Pacers got out to an early lead, the Heat eventually fought back and dominated most of the first half, only to see Indiana come right back and outscore Miami 28-14 in the third quarter.

The Heat again clawed back in the fourth before a bunch of missed free throws from both teams made things really interesting.

Finally, Mario Chalmers missed a three-pointer that would have tied it up, and the Pacers were able to steal the home-court advantage in the series.

Video Highlights

In the second quarter, when offense was hard to come by, Dwyane Wade decided to take things into his own hands.

Paul George gambled for the steal, and Wade simply put on the spin cycle. He went right around George and had a wide-open lane for the big dunk:

Dahntay Jones, of course, wasn't to be out-done. OK, Jones' dunk came before Wade's, but roll with it.

Jones drove past Wade and put in the strong one-handed jam with Wade trying to secure the block from behind:

Twitter Reaction

Early in the game, Grantland's Sebastian Pruiti pointed out why Indiana's offense could have been lacking. It was failing to properly get the ball to center Roy Hibbert in the post.

"

There has been a couple times that Hibbert had his man on his back, calling for the ball, gotta get it to him in those situations...

— SebastianPruiti (@SebastianPruiti) May 15, 2012"

This actually continued throughout the game, as Indiana's bigs were almost nonexistent for most of the night.

The Indy Star's Mike Wells noted how versatile LeBron James was proving to be. Obviously, without Bosh, his ability to play multiple positions was important.

"

I'm still waiting on LeBron to play center 2night. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens. He's played the other 4 positions in the 1st qtr.

— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNBA) May 15, 2012"

ESPN's Tom Haberstroh pointed out the peculiar play Miami was running in the first half.

"

Heat running several Wade-LeBron pick-and-rolls in the last few minutes. Interesting.

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) May 16, 2012"

It really was interesting. Neither is a true point guard or a true big man, but it worked pretty well. The play opened up LeBron for a mid-range jumper a couple of times.

Tom Haberstroh also had this brilliant Tweet about the evil Mario Chalmers showing up for the contest.

"

We're getting Wario Chalmers tonight.

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) May 16, 2012"

Chalmers had just five points on 2-of-10 shooting to go along with one turnover and no assists.

The Basketball Post's Rafael Uehara then gave us this delicious stat about Indiana's offensive turnaround after a horrendous first half.

"

28 points on 20 possessions by the Pacers in the third, 140 offensive efficiency. Opposite 82.5 offensive efficiency in the first half.

— Rafael Uehara (@rafael_uehara) May 16, 2012"

Finally, ESPN's John Hollinger pointed out that Frank Vogel's second-half substitution methods were fairly genius.

"

Love that Vogel went small. Zero 2nd half mins for Hansbrough/Amundson.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 16, 2012"

Grades for Key Pacers Players

Danny Granger: C+

Granger was fairly quiet in the first half and the fourth quarter, but you have to give him credit for being a huge part during Indiana's third-quarter comeback.

In the end, however, Granger finished with just 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block and four turnovers.

A little bit more consistency from Indiana's best scorer would have been nice, although he spent a lot of energy guarding and being guarded by LeBron.

Nonetheless, average performance from Granger.

David West: A-

West's final numbers aren't overly exciting (16 points, 10 rebounds), but he was awesome down the stretch, scoring multiple key baskets when the Pacers were desperately trying to hold off Miami's final comeback.

What's more, West got his hand on two very key missed Indiana shots in the final two minutes. He didn't get credit for the offensive rebounds, but he kept some crucial possessions alive. 

West was terrific when it mattered most.

Grades for Key Heat Players

LeBron James: B

LeBron James is going to take a lot of flack for missing two free throws in the final minute and then passing to Shane Battier and Dwyane Wade on one of the final possessions, but I'm more upset with the fact that he missed five total free throws and took four three-pointers, making none.

Nonetheless, LeBron is the sole reason Miami was actually in the game in the fourth quarter. He ended with 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists and six steals (a Heat playoff record for steals).

It's an amazing stat line, but he had a quiet third quarter and a forgettable end that, uh, won't be forgotten. 

Dwyane Wade: B-

The points were there for Wade (24), and he secured a bunch of solid rebounds late in the game. But it's hard to ignore a few things.

First, Wade shot just 8-of-22 from the field. Whenever he was taking anything from outside the key, you almost knew he was going to miss.

Second, he had a very bad flagrant foul in the third quarter.

All in all, it wasn't a bad game for Wade, but it wasn't very good, either. It was more of a "meh" game.

Deciding Factor: Third Quarter/Pace

The most important long stretch in this game was easily the third quarter, when the Pacers outscored the Heat 28-14.

They were able to accomplish this because the Pacers started scoring baskets on the offensive end, and thus the Heat were unable to quicken the pace.

When Miami has to play in the half court, it is nowhere near as good, and it was clear. They had no movement on offense in the quarter, and it was fairly ugly to watch.

Credit the Pacers for their offensive efficiency and limiting Miami's chances to run.

Game MVP: David West

I'm tempted to put Leandro Barbosa here, but West was just too good and too important for Indiana down the stretch.

If West wasn't there, there is absolutely no way the Pacers would have tied the series up.

What’s Next: Game 3

Miami travels to Indiana to take on the Pacers in Game 3 on Thursday, May 17, at 7:00 p.m. EDT.