By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
VIDEO: Heat-Pacers: Round 5
HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – While the Miami Heat have thrived, the Indiana Pacers have survived.
But how well each team has played over the last couple of months doesn’t matter. The team that reaches The Finals is the one that plays better over the next four to seven games.
The Heat have had the No. 1 offense in the postseason thus far. The Pacers have had the No. 1 defense. The champs have the league’s best finisher and the challengers have the league’s best rim protector. The Eastern Conference finals, of course, will be determined on both ends of the floor.
Here are some statistical nuggets regarding the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the East, as well as the four games they played against each other during the regular season.
Pace = Possessions per 48 minutes
OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions
DefRtg = Points allowed per 100 possessions
NetRtg = Point differential per 100 possessions
Stats and rankings are for the playoffs.
Indiana Pacers (56-26)
Beat Atlanta in 7 games.
Beat Washington in 6 games.
Pace: 92.5 (10)
OffRtg: 99.2 (14)
DefRtg: 96.8 (1)
NetRtg: +2.4 (4)
Regular season: Team stats | Player stats | Lineups
vs. Miami: Team stats | Player stats | Lineups
Playoffs: Team stats | Player stats | Lineups
Playoff notes:
- Have shot 18-for-28 (64.3 percent) in clutch time (last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, with a score differential of five points or less) in the playoffs.
- Opponents have shot just 35.8 percent at the rim when David West has defended it and just 39.8 percent when Roy Hibbert has defended it, the first and third lowest marks among 34 players who have defended at least four attempts at the rim per game.
- The Pacers have outscored their opponents by 8.4 points per 100 possessions with West on the floor and have been outscored by 16.9 with him on the bench. His on-off-court NetRtg differential of 25.4 is the largest among players on the four remaining teams who have played at least 150 minutes.
- Among players on the four teams remaining, Evan Turner has the lowest raw plus-minus at minus-53.
- The Pacers’ starting lineup has played 257 minutes together, most in the postseason.
- Paul George leads the playoffs with 10 corner 3-pointers. Lance Stephenson is tied for second with nine.
Miami Heat (54-28)
Beat Charlotte in 4 games.
Beat Brooklyn in 5 games.
Pace: 88.2 (15)
OffRtg: 113.2 (1)
DefRtg: 104.2 (6)
NetRtg: +9.0 (2)
Regular season: Team stats | Player stats | Lineups
vs. Indiana: Team stats | Player stats | Lineups
Playoffs: Team stats | Player stats | Lineups
Playoff notes:
- Have played at the slowest pace of the four teams remaining, just 88.2 possessions per 48 minutes.
- Best shooting team in the playoffs, with an effective field goal percentage of 55.0 percent.
- Lowest turnover rate in the playoffs, just 11.4 per 100 possessions.
- Have shot 68.7 percent in the restricted area, the highest mark of the playoffs. Meanwhile, their opponents have shot just 54.5 percent in the restricted area, the lowest opponent mark.
- Chris Bosh is second to only Kyle Korver with 7.7 catch-and-shoot points per game.
- Among players who have logged at least 20 minutes per game, Ray Allen has the highest on-court NetRtg. The Heat have outscored their opponents by 16.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
The matchup
Season series: Tied 2-2 (home team won all four games)
Pace: 89.9
IND OffRtg: 98.1 (25th vs. MIA)
MIA OffRtg: 101.0 (6th vs. IND)
Matchup notes:
- These have been the two best fourth quarter teams in the playoffs. The Pacers have outscored their opponents by 18.1 points per 100 possessions and the Heat have outscored their opponents by 14.1 points per 100 possessions in the fourth period.
- Only the Bulls (100.5) and Sixers (100.9) held the Heat to fewer points per 100 possessions than the Pacers did (101.0).
- Over the four regular season meetings, James had the best plus-minus (plus-29) on either team, while Dwyane Wade had the worst (minus-31). The Heat outscored the Pacers by 40 points in 76 minutes with James and not Wade on the floor.
- George and Stephenson combined to shoot 44-for-49 (90 percent) from the free-throw line.
- Shane Battier (1-for-6), Bosh (3-for-14), Mario Chalmers (2-for-12) and Rashard Lewis (2-for-9) all shot worse than 25 percent from 3-point range.
- George had an effective field goal percentage of 32.5 percent on 20 shots with James guarding him and 60.5 percent on 43 other shots against the Heat.
- See more exclusive SportVU matchup data here.
Still think Pacers can beat the Heat? I’ll tell you this, as long as James and Wade play together, they will never let themselves taste a series defeat again
Pacers win, see how they play in game two but I am liking Pacers and Spurs out of the West ! I think they are definitely capable beating the winner of Heat vs. Pacers series which is unpredictable matchup. If Bosch plays better the rest of the series it will be a battle
Miami has no answer for Hibbert, but Pacers gotta stop turning the ball over so much (lazy)
You all talk about who’s gonna win the playoffs and stuff, but at the end of the day one thing is certain an it is that in sports nothing is certain. Ibaka is out for the season with his injury, Tony Parker is uncertain, and basically anything is possible. Nets swept the Heat regular season, and ya’ll saw what happened last week… Also OKC swept the Spurs regular season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Spurs win the Western Conference again. Last year the Spurs were a few seconds away from become NBA champs, but they didn’t. So what I’m trying to say is that all this silly talk is pointless because until the final whistle doesn’t sound, NOTHING and I mean NOTHING AT ALL is absolutely certain.
Amen.
Spurs probably will make it to the finals, but WILL DEFINITELY LOSE to the ECC! If the Thunder beat them, then they will beat the Pacers, but not the Heat.
Pacers-Heat (Heat in 7)
Spurs-Thunder (Spurs in 7)
Spurs-Heat (Heat in 6)
The only problem is the fact that SAS has such old stars they might not be enough. And yes they got the best bench, but that does not matter if you are in the finals. That’s because they will send everyone they can to try to win. #3PEAT
Will see son
I doubt it The Spurs will beat the Heat, they wont make the same mistake twice and besides this time the last 2 games will be played in San Antonio!!!!!
v/r
Greg
Talk about delusional. Despite Indiana’s stumbles they still sit Atop the East and have beaten Miami and almost did it last year. I.E. why they got a BIG body in Oden just for Hibbert and West as Bosh, Bird and Battier couldn’t body with them in the paint. Even if Miami were to come out or Indiana they still have to go through the far deeper West Champs both of which are seeking Redemption, especially the Spurs who had it last year. Fan with blinders or not except the reality. Miami more focused on the off season than right now. They let go of their savior the last 2 finals Mike Miller to create cap space to keep their proverbial Big 3 as LA and other teams will be vying for Lebron at least and have the money to throw at him among other things. Spurs are my pick.
heat will beat. this is it. Carmelo Anthony will go to the heat next year, ray allen and battier will live. that is why melo go to Miami.
spurs vs. heat final…..not being biased at all…..
OKC vs Pacers. OKC2014.
lol… OKC won’t even make it past Spurs… and lets not even get into the Pacers who needed 7 games to beat Atlanta and lost 2 home games to Washington…
heat sweep pacers 4-0 like they swept charlotte and then beat spurs 4-1 in the NBA finals. Heat 3peat. Lebron Finals MVP.
Heat fans act just like there daddy LeBron so arrogant
if you think the Spurs are only going to win one time and they have 4 games at home, Right! wishful thinking!
v/r
Greg/
Na Thunder or Pacers in Finals
Spurs > Thunder in 5
Heat > Pacers in 6
Spurs > Heat in the finals in 6.
Congrats Spurs.
keep dreaming
as long as you keep hating.