NBA Playoffs 2013: Miami Heat's Keys to Victory in Pivotal Game 5 vs. Pacers

Despite entering the Eastern Conference finals as the prohibitive favorite to advance to the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat have had their hands full with the gritty Indiana Pacers. Indiana took Game 4 to tie the series at two games apiece, so Game 5 in Miami should be a huge turning point in the series.

The Heat will almost certainly be favored at home, however, that means little as this is now a best-of-three series that could go either way. Miami is still the more talented team and has a superstar that can dominate in the form of LeBron James, but tactics will play a big role in whether or not Miami takes Game 5.

Here are the three biggest keys that the Heat must address in order to get back on track and knock off the feisty Pacers on Thursday.

Attack Roy Hibbert Offensively

There is no question that the biggest reason for Indiana's success in Game 4 was the play of center Roy Hibbert on both ends of the floor. Hibbert has been great all series long, as he has had at least 19 points and nine rebounds in every game. He is also shooting well over 50 percent from the floor and is logging big minutes for a big man. Hibbert's past three games have been especially strong and put him in elite company, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

It's important to note that Hibbert committed just one personal foul in Game 4 as well. Perhaps that is an indicator of great, clean defense, but the fact that Hibbert had no blocks suggests that Miami was afraid to attack him. That is a strange philosophy as the Heat have players like James, Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen and others who love to attack the rim and get in the paint.

Hibbert is a strong shot-blocker, so there may be some apprehension when it comes to challenging him, but if the Heat go after him enough times he'll eventually have to start fouling. Not only will that help Miami get to the free-throw line more, but it will also force Indiana head coach Frank Vogel to take Hibbert off the floor for extended periods of time. The Pacers have a huge advantage down low, but the Heat can take that out of the equation by being aggressive.

Spread the Floor With Chris Bosh

As important as it is for the Heat to penetrate and attack Hibbert on offense, they can't get too far from their roots either. One of the big reasons why Miami has been able to take two games in the series has been the play of power forward Chris Bosh. It is no secret that Bosh isn't particularly physical for a man of his height, but he has contributed on the scoreboard and needs to be a factor in Game 5 in order for Miami to thrive.

Bosh scored just seven points in Game 4 and was 1-for-6 from the field, which isn't going to get the job done. In the three previous games against Indiana, however, Bosh averaged nearly 17 points per contest and hit four of his nine three-point attempts. Bosh only hit 21 trifectas during the regular season, but he has been shooting well from long range during the playoffs and should attempt to find open spaces beyond the arc in Game 5.

If Bosh is able to hit threes or even mid-range jumpers, it opens things up for the Miami offense. Bigs like Hibbert and David West will be forced to leave the paint in order to guard Bosh, which then will allow Miami's penetrating guards and forwards to make easy baskets. Bosh isn't going to bang in the paint and grab a ton of rebounds, but his ability to shoot the basketball is something that will come into play on Thursday.

Stay Out of Foul Trouble

One of the big things that contributed to Miami's struggles in Game 4 was the fact that many of their top players got into foul trouble. Wade and Chalmers ended with five fouls each. Bosh and Andersen had four apiece. Most importantly, however, LeBron fouled out late in the game and hurt the Heat's chances down the stretch. In fact, this is the second consecutive year in which James has fouled out in an Eastern Conference finals Game 4, according to Ethan Strauss of ESPN.

It wouldn't be fair to ask LeBron or any of Miami's players to be less aggressive moving forward, but they do need to play smarter on the defensive end. Not only does committing fouls hurt the Heat, as it allows the Pacers to pick up free points, but it causes certain players to be more cautious than they should be due to foul trouble. Miami needs to stay out of those situations in Game 5, and head coach Erik Spoelstra needs to do a better job of managing fouls too.

The Heat have a deep team, but it's difficult to compensate for superstars like LeBron, Wade and Bosh when they have to come out of the game or can't play their usual game due to foul issues. Miami must be more mindful of that in Game 5 as another foul fest could very easily push the Heat to the brink of elimination.

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