Just a day after receiving his third MVP award, LeBron James led his teammates to victory against the Pacers, finishing with 32 points (a majority of which came in the second half) and 15 rebounds. LeBron also got some much needed help from Dwyane Wade, who finished with 29 points of his own.
"It's a battle and we know, regardless of being at home, being away, who we're playing, what round, it's tough to win in the playoffs and you have to fight for every single possession," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "And that's what it was."
Miami power forward Chris Bosh was on his way to putting up solid numbers in Game 1, but an abdominal strain forced him out of the game. Bosh is out of Miami's lineup indefinitely, and we probably won't see any more of him in the series against the Pacers.
Even though the Heat got the desired result against the Pacers in Game 1, their performance certainly wasn't flawless, and they'll have to work on a few things before Tuesday. For one, Miami didn't particularly shoot the ball well from the field, converting on 41 percent of their field goal attempts.
With the exception of Joel Anthony, Miami's role players didn't show up for Game 1, and they certainly don't want to make a habit of it. With Chris Bosh potentially out for the remainder of the series, the Heat will need their role players to pick up the slack.
Without a doubt, the Pacers will come out firing in Game 2, but they'll have their hands full against the Heat. The Heat are virtually unbeatable at the American Airlines Arena, and I expect them to increase their series lead to 2-0 on Tuesday.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Associated Press, "LeBron James, Dwyane Wade carry Heat past Pacers as Chris Bosh goes down"
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