Pacers vs. Heat Game 4: What Indiana Must Do to Put Miami on the Edge

To say that Game 3 was a dominating performance by the Indiana Pacers over the Miami Heat wouldn't do justice to what actually happened.

The Pacers are a young and confident group that are playing with attitude and swagger right now. Perhaps they are peaking at the right time, but it's still impressive.

Looking ahead to Game 4, Indiana can't afford to slip up as the Heat's individual talent is arguably the best in the association. You can never count out Dwayne Wade or LeBron James, both of whom will be motivated to avenge their Game 3 smashing. 

As for the Pacers, a similar approach to their first two wins must also occur in Game 4. However, Indiana cannot become too predictable either. So, let's break down what the Pacers must do in Game 4 to put Miami on the edge.

Keep Pressure on LeBron

In Games 2 and 3, LeBron was held to just 10-of-22 from the field in each contest, shooting only 1-of-8 from downtown. So obviously the Pacers' bigs (Danny Granger, David West, Roy Hibbert) have done their work. Also, Tyler Hansbrough was solid off the bench in Game 3.

Indiana doesn't need to change how they defend James. They must continue to force LeBron to work for scoring opportunities.The Pacers must double-down in the paint, always challenge a shot from the field and prevent drives in closing lanes.

Wearing LeBron down early is crucial because the man possesses the athleticism and strength to make things happen down the stretch. On the offensive side, consistently driving at James will increase the odds of drawing a foul.

If anything, the early pressure is needed to fluster James throughout the final 24 minutes.

Work Even More in the Paint

As previously mentioned, the Pacers need to drive the ball at LeBron James. But, that all pertains to the overall offensive scheme for Indiana; because let's face it—going 8-of-14 from long range was unexpected in the last game.

The Pacers won Game 2 despite going 3-of-15 from three-point range. However, the opportunity to win the paint on virtually every possession must be taken advantage of.

Feeding Hibbert, Granger and West down low is essential, as they combined for nine offensive rebounds last game and went 7-of-8 on free throws. Game 2 was a similar story, as the trio went 11-of-16 from the line and nabbed 10 offensive boards.

The collective size advantage favors the Pacers, and the outside shooting can be effective when needed. Still, feeding the rock to the post off pics and cuts will wear down an athletic team like Miami.

Isolate Wade to the Perimeter

With the bigs mostly focused on restricting the production of LeBron James, the Pacers must isolate Dwayne Wade to the outside.

Wade only scored five points in Game 3, and is only 10-of-35 from the field in the series. However, he's still one of the NBA's top players and can flip the switch at any time to take over a game.

Though, the Pacers can prevent that by pressing him in the backcourt and rotating the defense toward him when LeBron is not inside. If Wade is able to find or create lanes for scoring opportunities, Miami will catch fire.

Offensively, the Pacers don't have to use a fast pace. But, continuous movement off the ball will limit Wade's defense as he's an excellent shot-blocker and turnover creator.

John Rozum on Twitter.