Heat beat Pacers 109-100 for 2-0 lead in first-round Eastern playoffs
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Duncan Robinson hit his first six shots, all from 3-point range, and finished with 24 points as the Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 109-100 Thursday for a 2-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Robinson opened the game by making the Heat’s first three buckets, all 3s. He didn’t miss until midway through the third quarter, and Robinson tied the Heat record for 3s made in a playoff game with seven. He finished 7-of-8 shooting, all beyond the arc.
Goran Dragić scored 20 points for Miami, Jimmy Butler had 18 points and six assists, rookie Tyler Herro added 15 points off the bench, and Jae Crowder scored 10.
Victor Oladipo, who had been questionable with an injured left eye, led Indiana with 22 points. Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon each had 17 points. T.J. Warren added 14 and Aaron Holiday had 12.
The fifth-seeded Heat went 3-1 against the Pacers during the regular season. Now Miami has won the first two of the first opening-round series between these franchises. The Heat are looking to improve to 4-1 against Indiana in the playoffs.
Robinson’s early 3s gave the Heat a 12-3 lead. Indiana led 24-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Pacers last led 39-38 on a jumper by Warren with 3:43 left in the second.
Butler hit a 3 as Miami took control. The Heat led 51-46 at halftime, then used an 11-2 run for their biggest lead of the game at 79-63 on a 3-pointer by Crowder with 4:51 left in the third. Indiana couldn’t get closer than eight in the fourth.
TIP-INS
Heat: Not only did Robinson hit his first three 3s, the entire team shot well from long range. They hit 8 of 16 in the first half to make up for their poor shooting at the free throw line (11-of-18). The Heat finished 18 of 35 from 3-point range (51.4%), setting a team playoff record for made 3s.
Pacers: The NBA’s third-best 3-point shooting team during the season struggled, hitting only 12 of 34 (35.3%). … The Pacers outscored Miami 40-34 in the paint.
UP NEXT
Game 3 is Saturday.