Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat- Live Commentary

Tonight's NBA game between the Pacers and the Heat is huge. These two teams have both been going through a rough stretch in the season, but they are still atop the Eastern Conference. This will be their third and final match-up this year (in the regular season, at least), with everything on the line. The Pacers have spent most of the year on top of the NBA, but their spot could be in jeopardy. Put that together with the fact that this is the winner take all grudge match, with each team winning on their home floor, and that it is taking place in Indiana, the stage is set for one hell of a game. The NBA hashtag for tonight is #BeastsoftheEast, in case you want to follow it. (This post is going to be very long, fair warning)

Paul George (White) and LeBron James (Red) will add one
more chapter to their rivalry tonight

Here we go, Chris Bosh wins the tip-off for Miami, knocking it to DeWayne Wade. Wade pulls up for a shot and passes out of it mid-air, but Mario Chalmers can't do anything with it. After an Indiana turnover, Wade drives and makes a pump fake layup for the first score of the night. Indiana responds with center Roy Hibbert powering through Miami's bigs. Paul George gets the ball wide open on the three point line, and takes a very long time to hit the uncontested three. The refs are letting them play, which is fun to see. They are both physical teams, and it is no secret that they don't like each other. Greg Oden and Chris Bosh have both commited fouls on Roy Hibbert in the past 20 seconds. Their game plan? Wear him down. He is a disruptive force, but he doesn't have the most level head. They will try to rattle him. Oden is flailing his arms everywhere, he kind of looks like one of those car dealership balloons. Greg Oden was actually recruited to give the Heat size after Hibbert dominated in the 2014 Conference Finals.

Oden in the offseason

Roy Hibbert is showing Greg Oden how to play ball, scoring on him seemingly at will.  A stat just popped up, Roy Hibbert has 9 points, shooting 4-5 from the field, compared to the Heat's 8 points, shooting 4-11. Hibbert is pulling a one man army tactic right now.

Roy being Roy

Chris Bosh couldn't catch a cold right now if he tried, with two consecutive drops. Maybe it's the fact that he has short arms because he's part Raptor still (he played with the Toronto Raptors for the beginning of his career, plus he makes what's referred to as the dinosaur face.)

I'm beginning to think every NBA star has one of these pictures

LeBron just fell to the ground, and started to yell something at the ref who was nearby. It is believed he is upset for contact between the two, but a replay showed that there was space between. He might be the first person to ever flop on a ref. LeBron just nailed a shot off the top of the backboard, not even close.

Accidental whistle by a ref on David West, called it off before things got out of hand. Very rarely do you see a ref change their mind, but it was a good no-call in the end. With 1:06 left in the first, the Pacers lead 21-14. The home team has both of their matchups this year, and so has the team with the lead after one. LeBron goes 2-2 on free-throws to make it 21-16 Indiana. Evan "Almighty" Turner has turned out to be a great trade deadline deal for the Pacers, following up a missed shot and putting it back for two points. Paul George goes to the bench with his second foul. No sense in him picking up a third before they need him. 

End of the first: Indiana-23, Miami-17. Roy Hibbert has 13.

Turner was probably just happy to get off the sinking ship that is
the Philadelphia 76ers

The Pacers will start the second without Hibbert, who is getting a well deserved breather on the bench. Twelve straight minutes is a long time for the 7'2" 290 lb. monster called Roy Hibbert. Wade is the only member of Miami's big three on the court.

Indiana is playing the much more intense game, seeming to pick off and rebound everything that leaves Miami's hands.

Phantom call on Mahimi, Chris "Birdman" Andersen will essentially get two "free" throws in all senses of the word. Timeout Miami, down six.

Either this ref is the hulk, or Birdman's not the tough guy he thinks he is

Lance Stephenson just hit a very deep three. a good five or six feet past the three point line. Mario Chalmers tries to fire right back and misses. He recovers the ball, and appears to hurt his leg on the drive, picking up a travel. He will head to the Miami Bench. LeBron checked in, and was immediately called for a foul. 

Neither team can hit their first shot, turning everything into a rebound battle. Miami is 0-6 from behind the arc. They cannot win without that. Timeout called, Evan Turner takes his time to go over to Wade, appearing to mention something about flopping. Nobody likes it, especially when it happens to them. If Wade keeps it up, he will most likely have some very real fouls coming his way.

I expect this officiating crew will receive a reprimand or two. They cannot seem to get out of the way.

Paul George recovers a loose ball and puts it in almost immediately after checking in. He recovers another loose ball, passes out to Stephenson, and gets the assist on the three. Indiana Pacers playing some of the best team ball in the league. 

Udonis Haslem (MIA) and Roy Hibbert just collided in midair on Hibbert's shot. I could actually hear them both hit the ground. Hibbert drilled another hook shot, making it 40-30, giving the Pacers their first double digit lead. LeBron has made short work of it, with the Heat making it 40-39, timeout Indiana. David West is fouled by Bosh, hitting both free-throws to go up by three. The Heat take their first lead since being up 6-4, with the score 41-40, Miami. David West reclaims the lead for Indy with two free throws, 42-41. LeBron drops a layup in. Pacers will run off as much time as possible. The Heat close out the second quarter on a 15-4 run, leading 45-44. Whoever wins this will have homecourt advantage throughout the Eastern half of the playoffs.

7'2" Hibbert (left) and 6'4" Wade (right)

DeWayne was guarding Hibbert down low, which is a huge size advantage for Hibbert. Instead of the easy two, Wade sent him to the foul line, where he went 2-2.LeBron just mowed over Lance Stephenson with an elbow to the neck. George Hill hits his first bucket of the night, putting Indy up three. Lance drives in with contact in puts in a hell of a layup, which Wade responds to with one of his own. Indy by three. DeWayne Wade shoves Lance Stephenson, and the teams have to be broken up. Wade was the instigator, a double technical foul was given, but Wade was the only one to put his hands on someone. Double techs are given way too easily. I will try to find video of this for your own opinions on it.Fight PG hits another bucket, and Bosh fouls on the next play. The crowd has seemed to pick up their intensity again, which will give the Pacers a huge advantage.

George and James keep going at it, making this rivalry more than just team versus team. This is the rising star versus the king himself. Should be a good finish in this final quarter and a half. Absolutely filthy block by David West, I thought they would call a foul, even though one wasn't warranted. Paul George buries another three, he and David West have really picked it up in the second half. LeBron responds with another three. He has 29 tonight. The rest of the Miami Team has 27. Mario Chalmers scored a quick two, then stole it and put in a layup. Miami is up one. Mario commits a foul, but the Pacers can't capitalize. 3 pointer by Rashard Lewis. Miami is up four, their largest lead of the night. David West goes to the line. One of the commentators (whois showing why he shouldn't be one) is wondering about the purpose of backing down in the post. LeBron just got wrapped up and threw himself to the ground. Good call, personal foul, but no flagrant. LeBron goes 2-2 and has 31. Paul George pulls off a great dunk to get the Indy fans back in to the game.When they're involved there is no way the Pacers can lose.

Paul George just performed a hang-glider dunk, I will try to get this in the highlights too. George Dunk. Getting the crowd involved is something he does better than just about anyone in the league. Miami by one. Foul on Luis Scola, LeBron's holding his nose, but replay shows contact was on his shoulder. Grow up. LeBron comes out with gauze in his nose to stop bleeding, most likely. LeBron goes up for a dunk but Roy Hibbert is there. LeBron elbowed Hibbert in the face, and Roy goes down.

This is a perfect example of a flop by LeBron, in case you
wanted to see one

Fans are calling for a flagrant foul. Roy is very dazed, falling after standing up the first time, and then eventually walking over to the bench. He's being brought to the locker room for a concussion test. A flagrant foul should be assessed here, but it looks like it won't. Figures. They assessed it is a Flagrant One, and Hibbert comes back out for his two free throws. He opened his mouth, his teeth and tongue were very red. He's a trooper, no question. He will return to the locker room after his free throws. DeWayne Wade hit a huge three, but his foot was called on the line, so it didn't count. It looks like he did make it though. Paul George just picked LeBron's pocket, and then missed a wide three pointer that would have given the lead. Hibbert's bleeding was stopped, and he changed his bloodstained jersey. George was just knocked to the ground hard, coming down on his shooting elbow. Not a good sign. He went 2-2 on free throws, so it doesn't appear to be a huge problem. Roy Hibbert has checked in again. Indiana picks up the lead on a Stephenson score, first non free-throw points in the game in 3.5 minutes. Wade misses a 15 foot jumper, and Hibbert recovers. Chris Bosh fouls Paul George. Lance Stephenson is ejected with his second technical foul. He was celebrating by yelling something aloud, but it was interpreted as at Wade, who already had a fight with him earlier. Reading his lips, he said "What?" to Wade while walking by.

Is it just me or does he look like Chris Tucker when he turns around

Tied at 76. Missed basket interference. Wade with a huge dunk and a foul. He misses the shot, Miami by two. Hibbert gets fouled, and hits one of two. Roy is still bleeding.

Evan Almighty picks off LeBron and then gets the assist on a lay in, Miami by one. DeWayne Wade was reaching for his hamstring, and the Heat call a timeout. His leg has kept him out of about 20 games this season, and he certainly isn't getting any younger. Mario Chalmers had the ball and believed he got fouled, he walked out of bounds waiting for this whistle. He got one, but it was telling him that he had just given the Pacers the ball. Evan Turner made quick work of this possession, performing a spin move and then a layup for a Pacers one point lead. LeBron misses a three pointer, recovered by Indiana. He's got 38. Roy Hibbert recovers a loose ball, and an Indy timeout is called.

Evan Turner has been a real gem for the Pacers. He was a star in Philly, but has accepted his role as a 6th man with no noticeable issues.

David West buries a three pointer, his fourth of the year, and the Pacers are up four with forty seconds left. Bosh misses a three, and the Pacers are going in for the kill. I don't know why Miami isn't fouling. They have 10 seconds for four points. Bosh buries a three with 2.9 seconds left. Timeout by Indiana with 2.9 seconds left. If they get the ball in, Miami will send them to the line with a foul.

Luis Scola inbounds to George Hill, who is immediately fouled by Norris Cole. George Hill misses his first. He misses his second. The Heat need any kind of score to win with 1.8 left. The Pacers cannot foul, but they are the best defensive team in the league statistically. 83-84. They will try to go to Bosh or LeBron. Chris Bosh misses the game winner, and Indiana survives their toughest test of the year, 84-83. This is the first full game of the Pacers I've been able to catch all season, and it was a great one at that.

The road to the Larry O'Brien Trophy will run through Indiana after they locked up Eastern homecourt advantage tonight.

For Tonight, Indiana has established itself as the true Beast of the East