MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Heat took a 1-0 lead in the best of seven Eastern Conference Finals over the Indiana Pacers in a thrilling Game 1 victory. But the game wasn’t without some really ugly play from both teams.
The Heat and Pacers combined to turn the ball over 40 times in the game. That was bad, but the two teams also combined to commit 58 fouls and take a combined 57 free throws in the game.
The game might have been completely different had the Heat converted on a few more of their free throw attempts. The Heat was 16 for 25 from the free throw line in the game, a paltry 64 percent free throw shooting percentage.
Even late in the game, the normally efficient Ray Allen missed a free throw that could have gone a long way towards icing the game for the Heat.
But it wasn’t just the free throw line that proved to be a detriment to both teams. The Pacers and Heat combined to shoot nine of 32 from behind the three-point line in the game. The Pacers shot four for 14 from long range, or 28.6 percent and Miami shot 5 of 18 from deep, or 27.8 percent.
One number that may signal problems for the Pacers moving forward is how much the starters had to stay in the game against the Heat. All five of Indiana’s starters played at least 40 minutes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Pacers forward Paul George, who played exceptionally well on both ends of the floor, played nearly 47 minutes in Game 1 and spent the majority of that time guarding Heat star LeBron James, who played 47 minutes himself.
But David West, Roy Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, and George Hill also played at least 40 minutes for the Pacers compared to only Dwyane Wade and LeBron James playing more than 40 minutes for the Heat.
If the Heat’s shooters, namely Shane Battier and Ray Allen, can find their shots, the amount of minutes played by the Pacers’ starters could add up quickly and become a major storyline the longer the series continues.
Here are a few other stats to remember going forward: The Heat are 50-0 when scoring 102 or more this season and are 48-4 when Chris Andersen plays. Finally, the Pacers are 9-25 this year when allowing more than 95 points.
