NBA Playoffs: Everything you need to know about the Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers

Miami Heat in five

If the Indiana Pacers were healthy, then this is a whole other story. But they aren’t healthy and it is as simple as that. Sabonis is not playing. Jeremy Lamb is not playing and Warren seems like he won’t be 100 percent.

The Heat have shown what they can do at full strength to better teams like the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks. And just in the bubble, they showed what they can do to the Pacers.

Two key stats that swing this series in Heat’s favor. The Pacers rank dead last in 3-point attempt rate and free-throw attempt rate. The Heat are the opposite. It then comes down to simple math. The Heat get to the line a lot, which is, mathematically, the most efficient shot. They also shoot a lot of 3-pointers, which is the third most efficient shot.

The Heat are too efficient and if they get hot. The Pacers have no chance of catching up while taking mid-range shots.

Miami won’t sweep the series, as the Pacers do have a good coach in Nate McMillan and players that could go off on any given night, but that won’t happen more than once.