Pacers beat Heat 91-80, lead series 2-0
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-09 14:43

The Indiana Pacers used a familiar combination to take a 2-0 lead over Miami in their second-round playoff series — 3-point shooting and suffocating defense.

Indiana Pacers' Reggie Miller reacts after hitting a 3-point basket at the end of the first half against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of a best-of-seven NBA playoff series, in Indianapolis on Saturday, May 8, 2004. [AP]

The Pacers hit seven 3-pointers and held the Heat to 40.5 per cent shooting in a 91-80 win on Saturday night.

Reggie Miller led the way with 19 points, including three 3-pointers. His buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the first half got the Pacers rolling.

Indiana set an NBA record with its sixth straight playoff win by double digits. The previous record was five, held by the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers and 1947 Philadelphia Warriors.

The series now moves to Miami, where the Heat have won 16 straight games. Game 3 is on Monday.

The Heat were in it in the first half, despite shooting just 37 per cent from the floor. Eddie Jones hit two free throws to bring Miami within five before a critical mistake at the buzzer.

With 1.6 seconds to play in the half, Jones allowed Miller to catch a inbounds lob at the top of the key. Miller heaved a shot off one foot that swished at the buzzer for a 44-36 lead.

The Heat responded with an 8-3 run to open the third quarter that made the score 47-44.

Miller came right back with a jumper and a 3-pointer and the Pacers finished Miami off with an 18-5 run in a six-minute span of the third and fourth quarters.

Anthony Johnson hit a jumper right after a 3 by Austin Croshere that gave Indiana a 77-57 lead with 9:35 to play.

Lamar Odom led Miami with 19 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 4:05 to play. Dwyane Wade added 19 points, five assists and six turnovers for Miami, which again struggled to get shots in the halfcourt against the Pacers' defense.

Miami will have at least two reasons to be hopefully, heading back home. In two games against the much deeper Pacers, the Heat hold a commanding 91-77 rebounding edge and have kept Indiana All-Star Jermaine O'Neal in check.

O'Neal, who finished third in the MVP voting, had 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting and spent most of Game 2 in foul trouble. In Game 1, O'Neal scored 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting.

Ron Artest again picked up the slack with 20 points and five assists for the streaking Pacers, who have won 11 straight overall and 11 in a row over the Heat.

It wasn't all good news for Indiana. Starting center Jeff Foster left the game in the third quarter with a bruised right hip. He appeared to injure his hip while going for a rebound on the offensive end in the first quarter.

Foster is one of the team's best rebounders and led the Pacers with 10 boards in their Game 1 victory on Thursday night.

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