Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-8.5, 188)
SERIES ODDS: Pacers +600, Heat -1429
THE STORY: The Miami Heat had little trouble dispatching the New York Knicks in five games in round one, leaning on newly-crowned MVP LeBron James and a strong team defensive effort. The Indiana Pacers had just as easy a time with the Orlando Magic in the first round, under far less scrutiny. Danny Granger took charge with 21.4 points and will likely draw James as a defender on Sunday when the Eastern Conference semifinals start.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana has been largely overlooked despite being the No. 3 seed in the East and going 12-3 in April to finish the regular season. The Pacers put on a convincing display in the first round, dropping the first game to the Magic and then controlling the rest of the series. They outscored Orlando 36-16 in the fourth quarter of Game 5 to cruise to a 105-87 victory. While Granger was the main scorer, Indiana got strong performances from Roy Hibbert, George Hill and David West. The Pacers dropped the first three regular season meetings with Miami but took the last one, 105-90, behind 25 points from Granger on Mar. 26.
ABOUT THE HEAT: James received his third MVP Award on Saturday, picking up 85 of 121 first place votes. The star forward was humbled but spoke of a “bigger goal,” saying “I want that championship. That’s all that matters to me.” James certainly played like that was the case in the first round, averaging 27.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists. With the top-seeded Chicago Bulls making an early exit, Miami is the clear favorite to advance to the NBA Finals for a second-straight season. The only issue that crops up for the Heat is with the supporting cast, which has been inconsistent all season. Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Mike Miller each had strong games against the Knicks.
TRENDS:
- The underdog is 24-9-1 ATS in the last 34 meetings.
- The under is 22-7 in Heat last 29 home games.
- The Pacers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. James is the eighth player in NBA history to have won at least three MVP awards.
2. James has averaged 27.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists in his career against Indiana.
3. Granger has been held to 17 points on 40.5 percent shooting in his career against Miami.
SERIES ODDS: Pacers +600, Heat -1429
THE STORY: The Miami Heat had little trouble dispatching the New York Knicks in five games in round one, leaning on newly-crowned MVP LeBron James and a strong team defensive effort. The Indiana Pacers had just as easy a time with the Orlando Magic in the first round, under far less scrutiny. Danny Granger took charge with 21.4 points and will likely draw James as a defender on Sunday when the Eastern Conference semifinals start.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana has been largely overlooked despite being the No. 3 seed in the East and going 12-3 in April to finish the regular season. The Pacers put on a convincing display in the first round, dropping the first game to the Magic and then controlling the rest of the series. They outscored Orlando 36-16 in the fourth quarter of Game 5 to cruise to a 105-87 victory. While Granger was the main scorer, Indiana got strong performances from Roy Hibbert, George Hill and David West. The Pacers dropped the first three regular season meetings with Miami but took the last one, 105-90, behind 25 points from Granger on Mar. 26.
ABOUT THE HEAT: James received his third MVP Award on Saturday, picking up 85 of 121 first place votes. The star forward was humbled but spoke of a “bigger goal,” saying “I want that championship. That’s all that matters to me.” James certainly played like that was the case in the first round, averaging 27.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists. With the top-seeded Chicago Bulls making an early exit, Miami is the clear favorite to advance to the NBA Finals for a second-straight season. The only issue that crops up for the Heat is with the supporting cast, which has been inconsistent all season. Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Mike Miller each had strong games against the Knicks.
TRENDS:
- The underdog is 24-9-1 ATS in the last 34 meetings.
- The under is 22-7 in Heat last 29 home games.
- The Pacers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. James is the eighth player in NBA history to have won at least three MVP awards.
2. James has averaged 27.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists in his career against Indiana.
3. Granger has been held to 17 points on 40.5 percent shooting in his career against Miami.
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