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Aside from a much larger media contingent than usual in the Pacers post-game locker room, it would be hard to tell the Pacers had just beaten the Heat, 107-96 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The players were subdued and obliging the media without any additional excitement in their voice. After two years of early advantages against the Heat, winning three more games is the only thing the Pacers will consider celebrating.
"That's what we talked about right after the game,'' David West said. "We haven't accomplished anything except to get the first game on our home court. We know there's still a lot of basketball left to be played.''
Frank Vogel spoke similarly after praising his team's offense and admitting the defense could be better in what he called a "weird game" due to the Heat missing some good open looks while making some highly contested shots.
"It's a good start to the series, but it's just a good start," Frank Vogel said. "That's all it is. We gotta come back and expect a great fight in Game 2 and try to get Game 2."
Yes, Game 2 becomes the new biggest game of the season. Miami appeared to do a lot of experimenting with lineups, trying to find some odd matchups that might work. Miami started with Shane Battier on Paul George and LeBron James on West. They even went smaller but none of the different looks worked well for Miami, even when West unexpectedly had to chase Ray Allen around on defense.
Expect the Heat to settle into their comfort zone and if the Pacers falter at all trying to impose their will with the inside/out attack that was so strong in Game 1, then LeBron James will be ready to seize the opportunity. Twice in the LeBron era, the Heat have lost Game 1 on the road. First, in the 2011 ECF against Chicago in LeBron's first season and then again against Oklahoma City in the 2012 NBA Finals.
Both times, the Heat bounced back to win Game 2 and then the next three games to win both series in five games. Yep, Game 2 is now the most important game of the Pacers' season.
Check out the links:
Heat at Pacers, Game 1 - Box score
Game Rewind: Pacers 107, Heat 96, Game 1 | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Pacers Take It In Stride | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Radio Highlights: Pacers 107, Heat 96 | Pacers Blogs
Kravitz: 'Virtually perfect' Pacers can't let up - Indy Star
Pacers stick to script, while Miami must rewrite - 1070 The Fan
Pacers ride offensive wave, beat Heat going away - Indy Star
Lance Stephenson lets his play do the talking (yes, really) - Indy Star
Pacers pull away, top Heat 107-96 for 1-0 lead - AP
Pacers' passion too much for Heat in opener 107-96 - Sun Sentinel
Greg Cote's Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog - Pacers win wire-to-wire
Pacers throttle Heat to take Game One (107-96) - Hot Hot Hoops
Pacers vs. Heat Game 1 final score, highlights and reaction - SBNation.com
Daily Dime: Pacers' starting points strong in Game 1 - ESPN
Heat can't stop Indy's opening approach - Miami Heat Index Blog - ESPN
Miami Heat Lose Game 1 to Indiana Pacers with Admittedly 'Unacceptable' Defense | Bleacher Report
Good morning, the Pacers are alive - SBNation.com
Pacers do what that they were built to do: Beat Heat in playoffs - CBSSports.com
Why resurrected Roy Hibbert changes everything for Pacers against Heat - Yahoo Sports
Pacers’ O sharpened by fear of Miami D " NBA.com | Hang Time Blog with Sekou Smith
Bosh comes up empty on both ends " NBA.com | Hang Time Blog with Sekou Smith
Post-Game Grades: Allow the Pacers to Reintroduce Themself - 8 Points, 9 Seconds
TheJayGravesReport.com: The Edge (The REAL reason Lance Stephenson is the most important Pacer)
Pacers' starters push Indiana past Miami | The Indiana Sports Report
Calm before the storm: The Heat's quiet quest - SBNation.com
Pacers offense demolishes Heat defense in Game 1. Didn’t see that coming. | ProBasketballTalk
Heat-Pacers Game 1: Indiana contains the beast - CBSSports.com
Lance Stephenson walks the walk in Pacers' big Game 1 win - CBSSports.com