The Heat fell into a 2-1 hole in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Pacers on Thursday night, losing 94-75 in Game 3. Miami took a nine-point lead after the first quarter but it was all down hill from there. Dwyane Wade had one of the worst playoff games of his career, and LeBron James was relatively quiet in the second half as the Pacers pulled away for the easy win.
After the first quarter, Indiana was extremely crisp on the offensive end. Miami, on the other hand, put together quarters of 12 and 18 points. Wade finished with as many turnovers as points, five each, and was 2 of 13 from the field on the night. Mario Chalmers tried to pick up some of the slack with the playoff game of his career, but his team-high 25 points were not nearly enough.
James started strong but was quiet throughout the second half and had only two points until hitting a couple shots in the last four minutes of the game. He finished with 22 points on 22 shots. Miami continues its woeful mark from outside the arc, hitting just 4 of 20 attempts from three-point range. Once they fell behind by double digits, there was almost no hope of getting back into it.
The Heat will spend the next two days looking for answers, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday afternoon at another raucous Indianapolis field house.
For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For the opponent's perspective throughout the series, check out Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana. And for all your news and notes on the playoffs matchups, visit SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.