NBA Playoffs 2013: Biggest Keys for Heat and Pacers in Pivotal Game 6

The defending NBA champion Miami Heat can close out the Indiana Pacers on the road on Saturday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the third straight year, but only if they follow through in a few key areas.

Miami has taken control of the series after winning decisively in Game 5, and now it's up to Indiana to force a do-or-die Game 7 back in South Beach on Monday night.

Here, we'll break down the biggest keys for both teams on Saturday night.

Battle for the Boards

The Indiana Pacers have out-rebounded the Miami Heat in all five games thus far in the Eastern Conference finals, but in the two games the Pacers have won, they have been plus-13 on the boards on average, compared to just plus-five in their three losses. 

Therefore, if Miami can hold its own on the glass Saturday night without the services of Chris "Birdman" Andersen, the Heat could be on their way to a third straight NBA Finals appearance. 

Much easier said than done, however.

The Pacers are the best rebounding team in the league and feature four players who are averaging more than seven boards per night in the postseason, led by 7'2" Roy Hibbert, who's averaging roughly 10 per game in the playoffs and 10.8 per game for the series, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

LeBron James is the only Miami Heat player averaging more than seven rebounds per game this postseason.

Second-chance points will be key in a game of this magnitude. With so much on the line and so little separating these two teams, the one who's able to get the extra lose ball off the glass could be the one who wins it. 

LeBron James in the Low Post

We saw it time and again in Game 3: LeBron James taking his talents to the low post to feast on Indiana's defense. 

Although James has played around the perimeter more often since that solid performance in Game 3, he's strong enough to get wherever he wants on the court and demand the ball. If he looks to operate in the post early on in Game 6, the Pacers could be in real trouble.

There's no one on Indiana's roster, or in the NBA for that matter, who can out-muscle LeBron individually around the paint. And if he's playing aggressive, physical basketball around the rim, he's going to put the Pacers in early foul trouble and open up the floor for Miami's shooters.

While LeBron's numbers in Game 3 don't exactly tell the tale, good things always seem to happen when the ball is in his hands, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

LeBron's willingness to play in the post was a huge key for Miami in its blowout win in Indianapolis in Game 3, and it will be a key for the Heat again in Game 6.

Turnovers

While giving the ball away is never conducive to winning basketball games in the playoffs, in the Pacers' case, it's absolutely critical that they take care of the ball on Saturday.

In Game 1, both teams turned the ball over 20 times each, and it was Miami winning on a buzzer beater. In Game 2, Indiana cut down on the mistakes, committing just 13 turnovers to win by four points. 

In Game 3, Indiana did even better, only turning the ball over 10 times. But Miami was incredible in that area, turning it over just five times in a blowout victory. In Game 4, the Pacers turned the ball over twice as many times as the Heat, but since they were dominant on the glass, they were able to win.

Game 5 saw the Pacers play carelessly, turning the ball over 17 times on their way to an 11-point loss. 

The Pacers are averaging just 11 turnovers per game at home in this series versus the Heat. But Miami is averaging just 5.5 turnovers per game on the road in this series. So look for the Heat to continue to take better care of the basketball in Game 6. 

Therefore, if LeBron James can take advantage of his mismatch in the low post on Saturday and the Heat can crash the boards and keep the turnovers to a minimum, as they have in their past two visits to Indianapolis, Miami should be well on its way to a Game 6 victory, yet again securing a NBA Finals berth.

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