MIAMI â€" With a sly grin Tuesday morning, Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel admitted he had an "aha" moment watching video of Game 1 between the Pacers and Miami Heat.
Wilfredo Lee, AP
Indiana Pacers guard Leandro Barbosa (28) goes up for a shot against Miami Heat forward Shane Battier during the first half of Game 2 on Tuesday at Miami.
"I don't want to elaborate on it, but I feel good about our game," Vogel said. "I feel good about what our defensive coverages are going to be."
Vogel and his coaching staff found a way to limit the effectiveness of Heat forward LeBron James and guard Dwyane Wade by attacking the basket. That task was made a little easier with Miami forward Chris Bosh out indefinitely with a lower abdominal strain.
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Nonetheless, the Pacers defeated the Heat 78-75 in Game 2 on Tuesday, evening the series 1-1. Game 3 is Thursday in Indianapolis (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Pacers outscored the Heat 28-14 in the third quarter, built a 64-54 lead in the fourth quarter and spurned Miami's rally.
James missed two free throws with 54.3 seconds left and the Pacers ahead 76-75. Then Wade missed an easy layup with about 15 seconds left.
The crazy 2012 postseason has been defined by injuries just as much as the play. While Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has preached the Heat were built for versatility, Bosh's absence was felt.
When Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose went out with a season-ending knee injury in the first round, it looked like Miami all but had a clear path to the Finals.
All but. Bosh's injury and Indiana's Game 2 victory changed the complexion of the series.
Vogel didn't give the Heat any motivation with Bosh out indefinitely, saying before Tuesday's game, "They're a spread offense team with two of the best creators in the world. So they're very challenging to guard with that small lineup. Not to say Bosh isn't a great player, but that lineup is every bit as challenging to guard maybe even tougher in some ways."
Vogel knew he had to get better games from forward Danny Granger and guard-forward Paul George on offense and defense. That's not an easy task, guarding James and Wade on one end and trying to score on them on the other.
Vogel said Granger and George have "some major defensive responsibilities in this series, and it's going to limit them offensively."
It was a better effort for Granger and George. They didn't shoot particularly well (a combined xx-of-xx), but Granger had xx points and George had xx points.
More important, they prevented James and Wade from going on a scoring spree. James had xx points, xx rebounds and xx assists. No other Heat scored in double figures, and Miami shot xx% from the field. The Heat have made just one three-pointer in the series.
Without Bosh, Spoelstra has to rely on more minutes from James, but he has to be careful. James is loathe to make excuses, but he played a ton of minutes in last season's playoffs.
In 21 postseason games in 2011, James played 40 minutes or more in 18. He averaged 43.9 minutes, and played 10 consecutive games with at least 40 minutes. He averaged 38.7 minutes in the first six games of this season's playoffs but played 43 minutes, including the entire second half, in Game 1 against Indiana.
"I don't want to say concerned, but hopefully I can get a few minutes here, a few minutes there, especially in the playoffs," James said. "I understand that 40 minutes in the playoffs is different than 40 minutes in the regular season. It's just how it is. The intensity is raised up. The way you play and as hard as you play, the grind is much more intense than the regular season."
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