The Miami Heat continued their strong offensive stretch, shooting 57% from the field and rallying late to edge the Indiana Pacers 125-120 on Friday night. Davion Mitchell hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 43.8 seconds remaining, sealing the victory for Miami at Kaseya Center.
Tyler Herro led the way for the Heat with 29 points, while Duncan Robinson added 20. Miami has now shot 58% over its last two games, tying the seventh-best two-game shooting span in franchise history. Bam Adebayo contributed 18 points as the Heat overcame a high-scoring Indiana offense that started red-hot from beyond the arc.
The Pacers made 12 of their first 15 three-point attempts but cooled off, finishing 9-for-24 from deep the rest of the game. Pascal Siakam paced Indiana with 36 points, while Myles Turner added 22. Tyrese Haliburton recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists, but the Pacers couldn’t hold on after a late Miami surge.
The game was tight heading into the final stretch, but Miami seized control with a crucial 13-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Trailing by one, the Heat used that burst to take a 104-92 lead, putting Indiana on its heels.
Mitchell’s decisive three-pointer in the final minute capped off Miami’s gritty performance, securing an important win against a Pacers team that had dominated them in a 28-point rout earlier this season.
Indiana came in expecting a tougher battle than their January 2 blowout win in Miami. Head coach Rick Carlisle anticipated the challenge, saying before the game, “They’ve got a history of doing things hard here and embracing hard times and difficulty.” His prediction was accurate, as the Heat’s resilience proved too much.
Miami battled through injuries, playing without Andrew Wiggins (sprained right ankle). Jaime Jaquez Jr., who started in Wiggins place, exited early in the third quarter after twisting his right ankle. Despite these setbacks, Miami found a way to close out the game.
The Pacers led 69-68 at halftime, marking just the fifth time in Miami’s 37-year history that both teams scored at least 68 points before intermission, including playoff games.
The Pacers return home to face the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, while the Heat will host the New York Knicks in another key Eastern Conference matchup.
