Pacers vs. Heat: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Will Need Monster Games to Win
The Miami Heat will need both of their active superstars to step up and have monster games if they hope to take a 3-2 lead over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
The Heat will be at home, but against a determined, tough Indiana team, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will need to be at their best in Game 5. Just like their Game 4 win on Sunday, both All-Stars will need to carry the scoring load for a Miami team that just doesn't have a whole lot of punch other than its superstars.
In Game 4 James and Wade combined to score 70 points, grab 27 rebounds and dish out 15 assists. The rest of the team combined to add 31 points, 20 rebounds and five assists. Given how tough and physical the Pacers have been during this series, James and Wade will need to produce similar efforts for Miami to escape and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Heat also took Game 1 of the series, and in that one James and Wade combined to score 61 of the team's 95 points. It's safe to say it has become a pattern: LeBron and Dwyane must perform. The Pacers have an incredibly balanced attack and it will take contributions from everyone on the roster for them to win games against Miami. The Heat need to take the exact opposite approach.
With Chris Bosh out, the two remaining members of the "Big Three" have to play like it. If they don't the Heat will be facing another postseason disappointment, one much worse than last year's Finals loss. Miami should be able to rely on its two biggest stars to play up to their potential when it matters most.
