This series has brought together two of the NBA's most vastly different teams. In one corner you have the Indianapolis Pacers, a team that has been carefully constructed and refined by Larry Bird. In the other corner you have the Miami Heat, a team that has been defined by "the decision". Both teams are very good in their own right, and both teams look to keep their championship alive and advance to the eastern conference finals.
The Indianapolis Pacers have been the underdog, overlooked team all season. They have played well, getting big wins from teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat during the regular season. Nothing about this team screams greatness or championship caliber, but here they are in May fighting for the right to call themselves world champions. They are a team that by NBA standards are just not good enough for a deep playoff run. The Pacers don't have a superstar to lead them at the end of a game, or take the game winning shot. They don't have a guy that can throw up Rondo-esque assists and create havoc for the defense. They rely on everyone from the team to do those things. It is undeniable that they have a very deep roster. Which is something that helps them late in the game when the other team is physically fatigued. To me the Pacers are like a mid-major college team that just barely got into the dance. They are a team that wants to prove to everyone that they belong and are willing to work harder and play with more effort and emotion than every other team that walks onto the court. They are the team that you say to your son, these guys are the role models you should have. These guys do it right.
The Miami Heat could not be a more different team than the Pacers. The Heat, without a doubt, are defined as "the big three". They are a team that has three of the biggest stars in the game. With Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh it seems that the sky is the limit for this team. They are a team that is built for championships. They don't have the underdog mentality. In all rights they are the number one seeded powerhouse looking to candidly destroy any team that gets in their way of their ultimate goal of a championship. That was until Bosh left game one with an abdominal strain and will be out for the rest of the series. Now the Heat have to rely on James and Wade to pick up the slack and push even harder than before. A daunting task for anyone. James has/will be called on to do most of the work and it has showed. James has looked gassed in the fourth quarter the last two games. What holds for the rest of the series no one truly knows. Game four, I can assure you, will be the turning point either way.
The Pacers lead the series 2-1 heading into the ever so crucial game four. The Pacers have most of the momentum, but that can change quickly. The Heat look to get back into the series and get revenge on the Pacers for the "beat down" they suffered last game. The Pacers look to extend their lead in the series to three games to one. If the Heat win they head into game five with the series all tied up. If the Pacers win they take the commanding lead and will look to finish off the series in game five. Will we see a rested James and Wade make a push and tie the series up or will we see Hibbert and company cool off the Heat to sub-zero temperatures? Either way it should be an exciting game.
