2012 NBA Playoffs: What Pacers Need to Do in Game 6 to Even Series vs. Heat
The Miami Heat took a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Indiana Pacers with a convincing Game 5 win on Tuesday night. With the series heading back to Indianapolis for Game 6, the Pacers need to play better in several areas to have a chance to even the series and force a Game 7 back on South Beach.
The Pacers need to do the following three things to give themselves a chance at getting back to Miami for a Game 7:
Win the Paint
The Pacers have been downright embarrassing near the basket over the last six quarters, and that rings true on both ends of the floor. If Indiana has any hope for forcing a Game 7, they'll have to play much better near the rims both offensively and defensively.
Considering the Heat could be without both Udonis Haslem and Dexter Pittman for Game 6 after flagrant fouls Tuesday, the task of dominating the paint should be that much easier.
Winning down low starts with 7'0" center Roy Hibbert, who hasn't played well in the two games since his breakout Game 3 performance. His 19 points and 18 rebounds in the Pacers' Game 3 win has been followed by 18 points (on 7-of-19 shooting), 21 rebounds, seven fouls and four turnovers during Indiana's back-to-back losses in Games 4 and 5.
He has played timid and scared at times recently, but the Pacers desperately need him to dominate the paint like he did earlier in the series.
Power forward David West has also disappeared the last two games, scoring just 18 points on 8-of-21 shooting. His effort defensively has left much to be desired too. That combination of poor play from the frontcourt has crippled Indiana over the last eight quarters of play.
For the Pacers to have any chance at getting this series back to Miami, West and Hibbert need to control the game from the painted area throughout Thursday night's Game 6.
Make Nothing Easy for James
Danny Granger is going to be hobbled for Game 6, which makes defending the NBA MVP in LeBron James a much tougher task than it already has been for the Pacers. While no one should expect Indiana to completely shut down such a transcendent talent like James, Indiana needs to make it considerably more difficult for him to score and distribute the basketball.
Starting in the third quarter of Game 4, James has gotten into the paint with relative ease. And the result for Indiana? 70 points, 28 rebounds and 17 assists over the last two contests for James, which both ended in Pacers losses.
During Games 3 and 4, the Pacers made life difficult for James by keeping away from the rim and forcing him into long jumpers. He shot well under 50 percent and averaged just 25 points a game. The Pacers can win a game with the Heat with numbers similar to that from James in Game 6.
It's certainly much easier said than done, but the Pacers have to get back to how disciplined their defense was on James early in the series. If James continues makes his living near the rim in Game 6, the Pacers will almost certainly be eliminated from these NBA playoffs.
Control the Third Quarter
The third quarter has been the swing period for both of these teams throughout the series.
Let's run down how each of the third quarters have panned out and the eventual outcomes of those games.
- Game 1: Miami outscores Indiana by six in the third to get back into control of the contest. The Heat then run away in the fourth to secure a 1-0 lead.
- Game 2: Indiana wins the third quarter by a 28-14 margin, erasing a five-point halftime lead for Miami and allowing a cushion for a final push by the Heat in the fourth. Indiana ties the series at 1-1.
- Game 3: The Pacers win the game in the third by outscoring the Heat 26-12. Indiana breezes through the fourth at home to go up 2-1.
- Game 4: Miami obliterates the Pacers in the third, scoring 30 points and turning an eight-point deficit at the half to a six-point lead going into the fourth. James and Dwyane Wade control the entire quarter. The Pacers never recover and lose, which ties the series at 2-2.
- Game 5: Miami led by nine going into the half, but James and Wade slammed the door during the third quarter. The Heat outscore the Pacers 27-17 to ensure a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6.
This certainly isn't rocket science. The team that has played better coming out of the first half locker room has gone on to win every game. If the Pacers want to even the series Thursday, Frank Vogel better have his team prepared to dominate the third quarter.
If James and Wade continue to play as well as they have coming out in the second half, the season might as well be over now for the Pacers.
