Heat vs Pacers: Losing Chris Andersen Will Prove Costly for Miami in Game 6

Nobody could ever have imagined Chris Andersen's absence would play a role in an NBA playoff game. But that's the case for the Miami Heat.

According to a tweet from SportsCenter, the Birdman has been suspended for Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers following a shove of Tyler Hansbrough:

His performance off the bench has been vital for the Heat. For the series, Andersen has averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.4 minutes a game. Without the Birdman on the offensive end, Miami wouldn't have a big man to spell Chris Bosh.

Chris Bosh has performed so well at the 5, but that's due in part to having somebody like Andersen whom Miami can bring off the bench. The Birdman brings a solid offensive game and tons of energy at both ends of the court.

Now the Heat are going to have to rely on Joel Anthony to come off the bench. Miami fans probably shudder every time that name is spoken.

Anthony has only averaged 1.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in the 62 games in which he's played this season. His PER is a whopping 10.4, which is actually the highest of his career. But that's probably down to how little he's played.

Anthony will be a black hole at the offensive end any time he's on the court. There's a reason the Heat brought in Andersen during the regular season, and it was largely because of Anthony's scoring output, or lack thereof.

TNT's Steve Kerr summed it up well:

Bomani Jones was a little more blunt:

Prior to Game 6, Miami could count on working the ball into the post when Andersen is on the floor. Now the Heat don't have that luxury.

Indiana has been a very good defensive team. In the regular season, the Pacers only surrendered 90.7 points a game, best in the league. That number has jumped a bit, to 92.1, in the postseason. When the Pacers have won in this series, the Heat were kept to right around that percentage.

The Heat are good when they can stretch the floor with their perimeter shooters. During the regular season, they shot 39.6 percent from the field. That has dropped to just 34.7 percent in the series.

If Miami can't rely on its three-point scoring as much, it will have to inevitably work the ball inside. That means getting past the likes of Roy Hibbert, David West, Tyler Hansbrough and Ian Mahinmi. Together they make up a formidable post defense.

Points in the paint aren't going to come as easy with a guy like Anthony on the floor. The defense doesn't have to give him as much attention so it can shade over a bit more and stop LeBron James and Dwyane Wade from getting easy points at the basket.

This has been a well-contested series. The Heat have needed everything they've got to get past the Pacers. Now they're a man down, playing in Indiana. This one's sure to be headed to Game 7.