After 24 minutes of back-and-forth basketball, the Indiana Pacers lead the Miami Heat 53-51. As you would expect, the Pacers came out strong in front of a raucous crowd, looking to jump on Miami early after 48 hours of back-and-forth trash talk in the press. Indiana quickly took a double-digit lead but on the brilliance of Dwyane Wade, Miami stormed back in the second quarter to lead by many as five points. It was astonishing how quickly they swung the game on a 10-point run.
Wade was incredible in the second quarter, hitting an array of shots from the outside and in the lane. He scored 26 points in the first half, but it was the 20 points in 12 minutes that pushed Miami back in it. He finished the half 11 of 16 from the floor. LeBron James was not nearly as hot, but still added 11 points in support of Wade. Erik Spoelstra also got a nice contribution off the bench from the badly hobbled Mike Miller, who drained three three-pointers and was a key part of stopping the Pacers' early onslaught and turning the tide.
Indiana shot nearly 60 percent from the floor but Wade and the Heat kept it close and gave themselves a great shot to finish off the series with a shorthanded roster.
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 outIndy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana. And for all your news and notes on the playoffs matchups, visit SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.