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Frank Vogel

Indiana Pacers confident of beating Miami Heat in game two

Indiana have moved on from their loss in overtime to Miami Heat in game one as they try to level their Eastern Conference finals series

AP

Losing a game at the final buzzer, no less than a play-off game on the road against the reigning NBA champions Miami Heat, would seem to have potential to demoralise the Indiana Pacers.

Or not. "Our belief," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said, "has strengthened."

Barely 12 hours after LeBron James scored on a drive as time expired in overtime to give the Heat a win in game one of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers were more steeled than shaken when they arrived for practice at the arena where it all went awry in the series opener. The second-guessing of Vogel's decision to keep Roy Hibbert on the bench for the final play was still going strong, but the Pacers insisted they were mentally fine.

A short memory would likely help Indiana now, especially with game two of the series back in Miami this morning (Hong Kong time).

"Very encouraged," Vogel said. "Our belief in our ability to beat this team has strengthened after game one. Our familiarity in the play-offs, in the play-off series grows with each day, with each game, and there's a lot of things we can definitely do better."

Our belief in our ability to beat this team has strengthened after game one
Frank Vogel, Pacers Coach

And on that point, the Pacers and Heat are in total agreement.

For as intense and down-to-the-wire as game one was, with 35 ties or lead changes over 53 scintillating minutes where neither team ever held more than a seven-point lead, the Pacers and Heat are expecting game two to simply be better.

Matching the level of drama may be difficult, but the actual level of play, they think, will improve. It's easy to see how that could be the case, after a series-opener where both teams were turnover-happy - 20 for Indiana, 21 for Miami, hardly the norm for either side - and play was at times choppy thanks in part to 58 personal fouls being called.

"We're going to play a lot better," Heat centre Chris Bosh said. "We've come to expect that of ourselves. We know that yesterday wasn't the championship effort that we need in order to win the series, let alone win the finals. We're going to have to do a much better job on defence and on offence to take care of the basketball, do a better job on the boards, do a better job of containing some of their actions."

For all the sensational statistical story lines that were born from game one - James' 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort, Chris Andersen making all seven of his shots, David West and Hibbert combining for 20 field goals - the box score alone points to plenty of areas where things could get better for both sides when they meet in game two.

In Miami's case, key reserves Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Norris Cole combined to shoot 2 for 16. In Indiana's case, George - who had 27 points - only had two at halftime, and Lance Stephenson shot just 2 for 10.

"We can get better," James said. "I think both teams didn't play to the level that they're capable of playing at in game one. But both teams had a chance to win."

The Heat usually have more than a chance to win. They're now 46-3 in their last 49 games, and 28-0 when Andersen grabs at least four rebounds. Still, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was pleading for more.

"We have to push to get to another level," Spoelstra said. "It was a very competitive game. Both teams were laying it all out there but we're trying to push to another level that we think we can get to - and we'll need to in this series.

Another lineup - not another level - might have done wonders for the Pacers.

Vogel's decision to not have a 7-foot-2 shot-blocking machine like Hibbert in the game for the final play was still creating plenty of buzz, though the second-guessing seemed to not be raining on Indiana's collective mood.

What's done is done, and Vogel said he has already moved on.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Pacers eager to hit back after painful opener
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