The Indiana Pacers came into Game 2 hoping to even the series at 1-1 against the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards, as the Heat took care of business in convincing fashion with a 109-100 win. Now, the Pacers are in a dangerous situation, as they are staring at a potential sweep in the first round.
Granted, the Pacers are having to play this series without All-Star Domantas Sabonis. However, they still have a ton of talent on the floor and simply are not playing well against a good Heat team.
Nate McMillan has been drawing a ton of criticism throughout the first two games of this series. He has consistently failed to make key adjustments over the last few years, and his playoff record of 3-14 following the Game 2 loss is not a good look. Indiana did just give McMillan a one-year extension that will give him at least one more season to prove himself.
While some fans are frustrated, the Pacers are still not out of this series. Being down 2-0 is tough to come back from, but it is far from impossible. A win in Game 3 would put Indiana right back in the mix of the series.
Looking ahead to the pivotal Game 3 matchup with the Heat on Saturday, McMillan has to make some changes. He has shown a reluctance to make any kind of positive adjustment, but that has to change. If it doesn't, the Pacers should be fully planning to move on from McMillan next offseason if the Pacers don't make a deep playoff run.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three adjustments the Pacers must make in Game 3 against the Heat to pull closer at a 2-1 series disadvantage.
1. Pacers must focus on perimeter defense
When watching the first two games of this series, it has become apparent that the Pacers are focused on crashing the paint defensively. While they have done that successfully, it has left Miami's shooters wide open. Guys like Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro are making them pay at a very good percentage.
McMillan has always focused on crashing the paint. That is the way he played defense with Gary Payton and company back in his day. In today's NBA, that simply does not work against prolific 3-point shooting teams like the Heat.
The Pacers must focus on defending against the 3. Limiting those 3-point attempts will force the Heat to drive and finish at the paint. Myles Turner is one of the NBA's elite rim protectors, which would work in Indiana's advantage.
2. Isolation basketball has to stop
Next up, the Pacers have also had an issue with over-dribbling and focusing on an isolation offense. Too often, they have attacked the rim to miss contested shots. Miami is too good of a defensive team to force shots in isolation situations.
All season long, the Pacers have thrived on team basketball. In the bubble, however, that has changed a bit. T.J. Warren went off in the seeding games, which has seemingly changed the team-first style of basketball that made Indiana a tough team to beat.
Getting back to moving the ball and forcing the Heat to defend is a must. If the Pacers do that in Game 3, they will have a much better chance to pull within a game in the series.
3. Run the offense through the post
Finally, the Pacers have to run their offense through the post. This may not be all on McMillan, as Turner has seemingly shied away from posting up the smaller Heat defenders. But, if they want to win, they need to use their size advantage.
Indiana is not a highly dangerous 3-point shooting team, but they do have some shooters. Playing through the post will force the Heat defense to collapse, which will in turn leave some shooters open for kickout passes.
Obviously, this isn't something the Pacers have done in the first two games. It's worth a shot with the season on the line.
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