Heat Index: Chris Bosh
Finals hinge on 'Tale of The Others'
“I felt like we had them on the ropes,” Chalmers said of the powerful and brief conversation with James. “I told [James], 'Let's go for the kill.' He said, 'I'm with you.'”
Actually, it probably should have been the other way around. With Chalmers leading a group of Heat role players who sparked a 33-5 run to put Sunday's game away, it was James' supporting cast that served notice its presence would be felt as the Heat tied the series 1-1.
While much of the focus in the Finals will be on the respective Big Three members of the Heat and Spurs, the outcome of the games will likely continue to hinge on which team gets the biggest boost from its supporting cast.
That developing trend continued in Game 2 of the Finals, when Chalmers and Miami's role players stepped up in the decisive moments of the game. James got off to a sluggish start and didn't get going until late in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a rather pedestrian, yet productive outing from Miami's Big Three unit.
But it was the next four players in the Heat's rotation that made the difference. Chalmers had 19 points and didn't commit a turnover; Ray Allen continued his shooting resurgence with 13 points off the bench; and Mike Miller and Chris Andersen combined to make all six of their shots for 18 points to spark Miami's 103-84 victory.
“Obviously, there are going to be certain games where guys will have to be special,” Wade said. “But we like to have games like this, where everyone is involved and the ball is moving around and guys are feeling like they're involved and they're comfortable and confident.”
The most impressive aspect of the Heat's 33-5 run was that the damage was done with Wade and Bosh enjoying all but a combined two minutes of it from the bench. Chalmers, Allen, Miller and Andersen scored 22 of the 33 points and made seven of eight shots during the run. James scored the other 11 points as Miami went from trailing 62-61 late in the third to leading 94-67 midway through the fourth.
“It's the key,” James said of role players swinging the series in either team's favor. “The Big Three on both sides, you know you can kind of rely on them at all times. But I think the supporting cast is really why both teams are here. They've been making an impact all year long. [The Spurs] feel like their supporting cast is better. We feel like our supporting cast is better. It's who goes out and does it each and every night to help seal the wins.”
Miami's answer Sunday came in response to big plays made by role players in support of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in San Antonio's Game 1 win. Parker's miraculous bank shot in the final seconds provided the biggest highlight from Thursday's series opener. But it was Danny Green's 3-pointer with 2:29 left that gave the Spurs enough of a cushion to hold on for a 92-88 win.
Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal accounted for 36 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1 to help make the difference. The Heat had the edge in Game 2 as Chalmers, Miller, Allen and Andersen combined for 50 points on 65.3 percent shooting, along with nine rebounds.
“This series probably is defined by all the little things,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Small things will make a major difference because the talent level is pretty equivalent. So it's going to be loose balls, rebounds, execution, guys coming in with confidence, being aggressive and that type of thing. Everybody's fine with it.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the outcome of Sunday's game was determined by the struggles of his future Hall of Famers and not a lack of support from others.
Parker, Duncan and Ginobili missed 23 of their 33 combined shots in Game 2 against a Heat defense that was more aggressive and disruptive than it was the previous game. After forcing just four turnovers in Game 1, the Heat scored 19 points off 17 San Antonio turnovers Sunday.
“Tony, Manu and Timmy were the ones that were 10 for 33,” Popovich said. “I'm not going to put that [responsibility for the loss] on the bench. That's when every team is at their best, when the perimeter is making shots, when the bench is playing well, when you have a lot of contributions. That helps you win basketball games.”
Despite the sloppy play, the Spurs got 14 rebounds from Leonard and a perfect shooting night from Green, who made all six of his shots, five of which were 3-pointers. But even with Leonard, Green, Splitter and Neal contributing 40 points and 18 rebounds Sunday, it wasn't nearly enough.
The Spurs expect to regroup as the series moves to San Antonio for the next three games, starting Tuesday night.
“We know one of the main reasons why we are here [in the Finals] is because they had a terrific season,” Ginobili said of the Spurs' role players. “Kawhi grabbing 14 rebounds, Danny shooting 5-for-5 [on 3-pointers], that really helped us. So Tim, Tony and me, we have to step up. We have basically no shot winning a game against [Miami] if none of us played good. So we definitely have to step up.”
Meanwhile, Chalmers looks for those he refers to as Miami's “others” to maintain their impact moving forward.
“It's very important,” Chalmers said. “Their second unit had a big game in Game 1. Our second unit had a big game [Sunday]. So it's going to be the tale of 'The Others.'"
Paths of Heat, Spurs finally intersect
MIAMI -- Eventually, it was inevitable.
So what in the world took so long?
All things considered, the only surprising element to the NBA Finals matchup between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs is the amount of time it has taken for them to finally cross paths with a championship at stake.
But when the teams play Game 1 on Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena, it won't be a clash of bitter rivals who despise one another. Instead, there are so many top-down connections the Heat and Spurs share -- from the heads of their organizations to the veteran voices at the end of their benches -- they'll enter the Finals far more like mirror images than mortal basketball enemies.
“The only thing I've known since I've come in the league is the Spurs have been run by [Gregg] Popovich and the Miami Heat have been run by Pat Riley,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday. “Because of that mutual respect and the consistency of culture, I think probably both franchises thought at some point in the last 18 years that we would have met in the Finals. And we haven't.”
Until now.
Those parallel paths trace back to 1995, when Riley took over the Heat a year before Popovich transitioned from the front office in San Antonio to the Spurs' bench. Since then, the two have served as either executives or coaches -- or in both capacities -- to established standards of excellence that render seasons a failure if they don't end in the Finals.
By the time this Heat-Spurs series is over, the teams will have combined to win seven titles in a 14-year span.
Along the way, the teams have maintained a mutual respect and admiration. So it was no coincidence when Popovich was one of the only coaching or front-office peers to call and congratulate Riley in July 2010 after the Heat acquired LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade in the biggest free-agency coup in NBA history.
Popovich reflected on that conversation with Riley on Wednesday as his Spurs prepared for perhaps the most formidable team they've faced in five trips to the Finals.
“He put together a team fairly, within the rules, that is a monster,” Popovich said Wednesday of a Heat team led by a four-time MVP in James, the 2006 Finals MVP in Wade and a perennial All-Star in Bosh. “So why wouldn't he get credit for that? Why wouldn't you congratulate him for that? He lets people do what they do, puts things together, and he put together a hell of a team. And so I called him to thank him because I respect him so much.”
Popovich paused, considered the task he has at hand in the coming days and immediately clarified his gratitude.
“Not to thank [Riley], but to congratulate him,” he said. “That's the last thing I'd do is thank him for doing that.”
In reality, all the Heat were doing was borrowing from the blueprint the Spurs had established years ago. Although the Boston Celtics tend to get much of the credit for reviving the Big Three era when they acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce in 2007, the Spurs had already perfected the formula to the tune of three titles with their core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
When Riley spoke to reporters near the end of the regular season in April about the future he envisions for the Heat, he mentioned the Spurs' model as the one he'd like to follow in designs to keep James, Wade and Bosh together for a decadelong run of Finals appearances and titles.
Normally, the Heat draw from some level of disdain or scorn to help inspire them to face a postseason rival. But this matchup is filled with far too much admiration to get outright nasty. And it's completely genuine.
The track record speaks for itself.
The Spurs have put together 14 consecutive 50-win seasons and are undefeated in their four previous trips to the Finals. Meanwhile, the Heat have had winning seasons in 14 of the 17 years Riley has been at the helm of the franchise.
San Antonio is built around a four-time champion in Duncan, who is regarded by many as the best power forward to ever play the game. Miami's catalyst is James, who at age 28 has won four MVP awards in the past five seasons and should be considered the greatest small forward -- if not best player overall -- by the time he's done.
The similarities also extend to the end of their benches, where Miami brought back Juwan Howard in the spring to be a veteran presence and leader in the locker room. San Antonio, on the other hand, reached out to former superstar Tracy McGrady for the same role and a shot at a ring.
But there are also a few approaches that make these franchises distinctively different. Although the Spurs have built their foundation through the draft, the Heat bought their major pieces in free agency. San Antonio has successfully mined foreign markets for players such as Parker, Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. Miami has strongly preferred players who have been groomed through domestic ranks.
Yet in the Finals, they've still landed on common ground.
James, whose Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs in the 2007 Finals, said he has applied some of San Antonio's basic concepts to teams he has played with the past few years.
“I think the one thing that you kind of always see, no matter what, they've always shared the basketball and played as a team,” James said. “That's winning basketball. You always see the Spurs doing that. They're in the Finals for a reason; for their experience, how well they're coached, how balanced they are and their championship DNA.”
Parker returned the sentiment Wednesday by saying the Heat would be the toughest team he has faced in the Finals. Parker and James also faced virtually the same line of questions about their overall development since the 2007 Finals.
“Against Miami, it's the last step,” Parker said. “It's going to be the hardest one, because winning a championship is very hard. LeBron is going to be very tough. But it's a great opportunity for us to try to beat them.”
That feeling is mutual. But at least one thing the teams don't have for one another is envy. The Heat love the spotlight and the attention that comes with being one of the most popular and polarizing teams in any major sport.
But with that comes a level of scrutiny and ridicule that has critics speculating on the possible breakup of Miami's core every time there's a rough patch. It happened in the days leading to Game 7 of the conference finals against Indiana.
On the other hand, there was hardly any national debate as to whether Duncan, Parker and Ginobili needed to part ways as the Spurs fell short of the Finals in recent years. The dynamic isn't lost on Wade entering Thursday's game.
“Their team was put together through the draft ... the way people feel is the right way, and ours was put together a little differently,” Wade said. “So the conversation is different. We understand. We're not trying to be the Spurs. We're not going to get the same treatment, same talk. I'm sure they don't want to be us. Our team has done pretty decent. In our three years together, we've been in the Finals three years in a row. So we're doing something right.”
So is San Antonio.
And Duncan completely agrees with Wade in that the Spurs want no part of the scrutiny Miami faces daily. They're fine with the notion that they're overlooked and under the radar.
“We play the same way, we do the same things, we've been blessed to win four championships, and we're blessed to be back and have a chance to win a fifth one,” Duncan said. “So that's all that matters to us. I'm definitely glad I don't have that kind of [media] pressure on me. Absolutely.”
Dwyane Wade arrives just in time
MIAMI -- Because of the way he sets up teammates on the court, four-time league MVP LeBron James is regarded as one of the NBA's best facilitators.
But James' biggest assists Monday came well before the Miami Heat thumped the pesky Indiana Pacers 99-76 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season.
Hours before the game, James went to frustrated teammate Dwyane Wade and offered two potential solutions to finally shake the veteran guard from his series-long struggles.
First, James offered to switch defensive assignments and relieve the 6-foot-4 Wade of the massive challenge of guarding 6-9 forward Paul George, the Pacers 'leading scorer who won the league's most improved player award.
Secondly, after hearing Wade express concerns about a supposedly diminishing role in the offense in recent games, James decided to call the first few plays of Monday's game to get his sidekick into a comfort zone as early as possible.
“Just to make him feel like he was a part of the offense, make him feel in a good rhythm,” James said. “And it showed throughout the whole game that he was in a rhythm. He started to make layups, he started to attack, he started to make his free throws. So it was big time.”
It was big enough to result in Wade's best performance of the playoffs, as he finished with 21 points on 16 shots to go with a game-high nine rebounds, a steal and a block in 35 minutes. Wade's breakout performance -- combined with Chris Bosh's series-high eight rebounds and three first-half 3-pointers from Ray Allen -- finally delivered the level of support James had been missing from the key members of Miami's supporting cast for much of the hard-fought series.
And that boost came just in time for the Heat, who were pushed to a decisive Game 7 for the second straight year in the conference finals but responded with a relentlessness on both sides of the ball that made you wonder why the defending champions made this series much harder on themselves than it probably had to be.
Credit the Pacers for using the league's best defense to make life miserable for the Heat.
But Wade was finally able to emerge with an outlier effort in the midst of what has been his least productive playoffs since his rookie season a decade ago. Wade tried to simply dismiss Monday's contribution as one of those nights when his troublesome right knee didn't bother him as much.
That much seemed obvious from the outset, when Wade attacked from the post on his first few baskets and then capped the first half with his signature “Euro-step” move in transition to slide past Lance Stephenson for a dunk.
Wade said his discussion with James, as well as a talk he had with coach Erik Spoelstra during the team's day off on Sunday, allowed him to psychologically push past his problems through the first six games against the Pacers. After that, it was just a matter of how much his body would cooperate with the plan set in place entering Game 7.
“I'm going to play through the pain because this is my job,” said Wade, who shot 7-of-16 from the field and made all seven of his free-throw attempts.
“My team depends on me. Like I said a couple of series ago, I would love to be one of the players who never has to deal with these conversations, never have to deal with these injuries. But that's not my path. I'll find a way. I'll figure it out. Some way, some how, if you give me enough time, I'll figure it out.”
Wade had been averaging 13.6 points in the playoffs before Monday's game. He scored 10 points in each of the previous two games against the Pacers, and was benched for much of the fourth quarter in a Game 6 loss.
But Indiana faced a different player than the one who stumbled around, fumbled passes and shot 32.3 percent from the field over Games 4, 5 and 6 of the series.
“Clearly, he had the will to try to back up his words,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of Wade. “He was going to try to do everything possible, whether his shot was falling or not. He had the mindset to impact the game in any way he possibly could.”
Wade's most impressive numbers Monday were his rebounding totals, which included six offensive rebounds that contributed to many of the Heat's 22 second-chance points. For the first time in the series, Miami won the rebounding battle 43-36 and beat Indiana at its own game.
“It was Game 7,” Pacers center Roy Hibbert said of Wade. “He turned it on.”
Indiana forward David West didn't anticipate that effort from Wade after seeing him limited throughout the series.
“That's probably the hardest he's played just in terms of effort, we felt,” West said. “We knew he, at times, was in and out of the series just in terms of impact. But his experience took over. He made some key plays. He missed some shot and went and got it off the glass a few times. He beat us in the effort department, and he physically played harder than we had seen in the previous six games.”
There also may have been a possum element to Wade's approach. After answering questions about his knee and a drop-off in his game since the start of the series, Wade stored up enough energy for a resounding Monday.
“That's just Dwyane being who he is,” Spoelstra said. “He has an uncanny way. All of us have seen him over the years. When you count him out and you need him most, competition is at its fiercest, he's going to be there for you.”
Wade is now back in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in his career, which includes a title run in 2006 when he guided Miami past Dallas and was named MVP of the series.
Back then, Wade was in his prime as the Heat's clear-cut leader and catalyst. Now, he's entrenched in a supporting role alongside James. At times, Wade still struggles with that reality as much as he does with nagging knee pain.
But James' best skill, among all others, is his ability to read his team, analyze a situation and form a plan of attack. At a time when James saw Wade sulking, he figured out a way to help him get back to soaring. At least for a night.
A big night.
“It just happened that this series, guys just weren't in rhythm, not feeling like themselves,” James said. “Any pressure I could take off D-Wade, I wanted to do that.”
Wade gets two full days to recharge his body before the Heat and Spurs play Game 1 on Thursday in Miami. No player is more thrilled to hit the reset button than Wade.
But he's also bracing to endure a similar pattern in the NBA Finals. There will be games he feels fine and others when he feels like his dragging his right leg around the court. He's also prepared for fresh set scrutiny and potential criticism of his initial impact in the championship series.
“There will be some moments next series where I won't be looking so great,” Wade said. “I'm sure there will be some great headlines out there about myself. But I'll continue pushing. I'll continue to try to help do whatever I can to help the Miami Heat win another championship.”
Wade's timing did test James' patience a bit.
“Hey,” James said, “[If] you save it until the last game, and it allows us to advance, then I'm OK with that.”
Wade, Bosh aim for bounce-back Game 6
One step away from a third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, struggling Miami Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh aim to regain enough of a stride to help LeBron James finish off the Indiana Pacers.
A sore right knee continues to limit Wade's effectiveness during the least-productive playoff series of his 10-year career, while a sprained right ankle has contributed to Bosh's scoring and rebounding woes the past two games.
Both Wade and Bosh hope to bounce back Saturday when the Heat carry their 3-2 series lead into Bankers Life Fieldhouse for Game 6 with a chance to close out the Pacers and advance to the Finals to face San Antonio.
“Nobody is 100 percent,” Bosh said Friday before the Heat's team flight to Indianapolis. “It's just really all mental. Just knowing you have to come in, you have to do your job better than the other guy and know that everyone is ailing a bit. But that's part of the game, especially this time of the year. Everybody has to rise to the challenge.”
That challenge grew steeper for Bosh when the NBA announced Friday that Heat reserve center Chris Andersen is suspended for Game 6 for his role in Thursday's altercation with Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough.
The absence of Andersen's interior scoring, defense, rebounding and energy will create a void for the Heat that demands more production from Bosh, Udonis Haslem and seldom-used center Joel Anthony against Indiana's physical and productive big men in Roy Hibbert and David West.
Bosh said the only choice is to embrace the opportunity.
“[You] have to love pain, love basketball, love the game,” Bosh said. “And love the position you're in.”
Heat Reaction: Game 5 vs. Pacers
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Heat freezing up in the clutch 
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
After dominating crunch time in the regular season, the Heat have gone cold in the playoffs.
With 5:00 left in the game, and the Miami Heat up by three points, George Hill caught the ball on the left wing and ran a pick-and-roll with Roy Hibbert. As the Heat defense swarmed Hill, the point guard sent a pocket pass to the rolling Hibbert, who then dumped the ball to David West at the rim. West rose up for a layup and got fouled by Dwyane Wade.
And thus started the Heat’s latest debacle in clutch situations.
The advanced stats database at NBA.com defines clutch situations as any occasion when the score is within five points in the final five minutes of the game. After the Wade foul call with 4:54 left, the Heat subsequently blew the lead and Game 4.
Here are the gory details of the Heat’s performance in clutch time Tuesday night:
- The Heat shot 1-for-7 from the floor while allowing the Pacers to shoot 4-for-8. The Heat’s only basket was a contested 3-pointer early in the shot clock from LeBron James.
- The Heat collected two rebounds; the Pacers hauled in eight.
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Heat Reaction: Game 4 at Pacers
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A May 28 ESPN.com story grading the Miami Heat had the incorrect name of the official who made the sixth foul call on LeBron James in that night's game against Indiana.
Heat Reaction: Game 2 vs. Pacers
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Hibbert explains the Heat conundrum
AP Photo, Getty Images
Roy Hibbert explains why the Miami Heat are more difficult to guard than the New York Knicks.
MIAMI -- It must be weird to be Roy Hibbert these days.
On Friday morning at the Indiana Pacers' Game 2 shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena, he sat at a plush courtside seat with cameras, microphones and tape recorders jammed into his face. For several minutes, he fielded a barrage of questions about another player kneeing him in the groin area.
This is Hibbert's first Eastern Conference finals experience.
It must be weird to be Hibbert because he must wear two hats when talking with the media. In one breath, he would talk extensively about his "family jewels," as he put it. In the next breath, he'd put on his coaching hat and discuss the hard X's and O's of basketball.
For some people, the controversial layup from Shane Battier, the target of Hibbert's Thursday night tweet, is all they want to hear about. And that's understandable. Trash talk between athletes can be pretty compelling.
But for others, it's the X's and O's that makes the NBA experience fun. Why are the Heat so difficult to guard as a big man? Indiana coach Frank Vogel called the Heat offense "more intelligent" than the New York Knicks offense, but why is that the case?
Hibbert will explain.
During Game 1, Hibbert said he could hear LeBron James instructing his big men to do something that the Knicks didn't do enough.
What was James telling Chris Bosh, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem out on the court?
"'Be ready for that dump-off pass,'" Hibbert recalled.
In Game 1, when the Heat scored 60 points in the paint, Hibbert and the Pacers couldn't stop that dump-off pass.
Why?
Because James and Dwyane Wade are a threat to score and a threat to pass at the same time.
"When you play against a team this athletic with LeBron James, D-Wade and those guys, you have to pick your poison," Hibbert said. "Do you want LeBron James, who has a large launching pad, taking off and dunking on you? Or do you want Birdman making layups at the rim?"
The Pacers didn't have a dependable answer to that question in Game 1.
"It’s kind of putting me in an uneasy situation because you have LeBron coming at you at 100 miles an hour and he can take off from anywhere," Hibbert said. "What do you do? Do you try to stop him or do you worry about that pass?
"It’s a conundrum. I’m trying to figure that out."
James tallied 10 assists in Game 1, and Wade registered five. As a team, the Heat recorded 24 assists, four more than the Knicks did in any game of the Eastern Conference semifinals. In fact, James dropped more assists in Game 1 (10) than Carmelo Anthony did in the entire series against the Pacers (8).
To Hibbert, that's where you'll find the difference between the Knicks and the Heat.
"Last series, you didn’t have to worry about guys making plays like that," Hibbert said. "Carmelo is just coming straight at you, it’s easy to deal with. But with two or three guys around the basket ..."
Hibbert trailed off.
"We just have to do a better job," he said. "If I step up, somebody else has my back, and then we have a rotation after that. It’s pretty tough when you have guys like Ray Allen in the corner, LeBron and D-Wade on the court at the same time, and you have Chris Bosh, who’s a spot-up shooter. They’re going to push us to the limit."
The Pacers spent Thursday's practice and Friday morning's shootaround figuring out how to defend the Heat's multiple threats.
"We just have to be able to help the helper," Hibbert said. "That’s why Birdman and Chris Bosh have been living off the dump-off passes and stuff like that. We had our hands full. If we can stop the line drives, we can hopefully protect the paint a little bit better.
For the Pacers, the best way to deal with the Heat conundrum is to avoid it in the first place.
"We worked on some things," Hibbert said. "We’re trying to stop it at the point of the ball screen so I don’t have to be tested at the rim like four or five times in a row. We’re working on ball screen defense and the guard-guard pick-and-roll.
Easier said than done.
"But that’s hard to deal with when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are coming at you," Hibbert said.
Bosh's versatility causes dilemma for Indy
MIAMI -- Before the Miami Heat try to take a 2-0 series lead Friday in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, Chris Bosh had a confession to make about the closing seconds of his team's overtime win in the opener.
He was never an option.
Not even close. At least not on the final play.
When LeBron James caught the inbound pass with 2.2 seconds left and drove for the buzzer-beater layup that downed the Pacers 103-102 in Game 1 on Wednesday, Bosh wasn't the Heat's second, third or fourth go-to player.
In essence, he was the getaway guy.
“I had to flare to the weak side,” Bosh said of moving as far away from the ball as possible at the most pivotal point in the game. “If the lob was there, maybe [I'd get it]. But I knew it wasn't going to be there. I was never an option. When we drew up the play, we knew where it was going.”
Pacers coach Frank Vogel still didn't come right out and admit it Thursday. But it was Bosh -- more than James -- that he feared on that last play in Game 1. So psyched out by the threat of Bosh's versatility, Vogel kept shot-blocking center Roy Hibbert on the bench in a move that cleared the path for Miami's victory. It was a smart gamble that backfired.
Don't classify Bosh as a glorified decoy. It doesn't do him justice. He's a dominating dilemma. If Game 1 proved nothing else, it confirmed that just the potential of Bosh's ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and quickness at center is every bit as vital as his actual execution.
In this series, that probably won't allow Bosh to be a late-game hero like James. And he also likely won't have the touches to provide all of those highlights like Paul George.
But Bosh will be the biggest headache to deal with in what promises to be a remarkably hard-fought series. No player will do more to impact these next few games without constantly having the basketball in his hands than Bosh.
“He's the most important player for us, has been for three years,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday of Bosh, who scored just two points in the first half and got his first rebound midway through the fourth quarter in Wednesday's game.
Added Spoelstra, “[Bosh] just makes it all work, and everything works better when he's on the court. We force easier triggers when he's involved. And that's either when he's involved or when he's on the other side with his spacing. That's what makes him so unique. One way or another, he helps our attack.”
The Pacers insist they'll avoid the ambush moving forward. Asked if his team spent too much time worrying about the mismatch Bosh creates on the court, George said the Pacers would be better off sticking with their identity.
“We just have to stay consistent in what we do,” George said after Indiana's practice Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena. “We've got to honor and respect what Chris Bosh can do, but just stay true to what we do.”
Just one game into the series, the Bosh dilemma has the Pacers already dealing with a bit of an identity crisis. During his pregame media session about an hour before the start of Game 1, Vogel said his team hasn't -- and wouldn't -- adjust its style to counter an opponent's adjustments.
A few hours later, the message was different. Vogel justified his last-second lineup shuffle by pointing the pick-your-poison proposition presented by Bosh's presence.
“That's the dilemma they present when they have Chris Bosh at the [center] spot and his ability to space the floor,” Vogel said. “Obviously, with the way it worked out, it would have been better to have Roy in the game. But you don't know. If that happens, maybe Bosh is making the jump shot, and we're all talking about that [instead].”
Causing psychological conundrums isn't a new role for Bosh. But it's one that he's gradually embracing even as it constantly evolves from one playoff series to the next.
During the Heat's first-round series sweep against Milwaukee, Bosh was matched up with equally nimble and athletic center Larry Sanders. So the challenge then was for Bosh to be a defensive anchor and play closer to the rim. He had 16 points and 14 rebounds in Game 3 against the Bucks and then blocked four shots in the series clincher.
Against Chicago in the next round, Bosh was charged with matching the energy and relentless play of Joakim Noah. He then delivered 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in Game 3 and another four-block performance in Game 4 before the Heat closed out the Bulls in five games.
But in this round, as he faces the 7-foot-2 Hibbert and rugged power forward David West, Bosh knows his production might be determined more by his technique than his touches.
“I'm just doing my best to stretch these guys out,” Bosh said. “[Hibbert] is one of the best defenders as a big in the league. If you just give him one option, he's probably going to dominate. We want to give him a bunch of different looks, put him in a bunch of different positions where he has to make quick decisions. If you give him something else to think about, it changes the dynamic a little bit.”
Bosh didn't have to bother baiting Hibbert with the game on the line Wednesday. Vogel made sure of it. But that might not be the case the rest of the series. After expressing his frustrations about sitting out the final seconds of Game 1, Hibbert said Thursday he met with Vogel and the two have a mutual understanding of his role in the matchup.
“Our size is our strength,” Hibbert said of coping with the Bosh strategy. “But at the same time, I'm not the quickest guy out there on the perimeter. We have a plan for it. And if I'm on Bosh, I have to do a good job of moving my feet.”
Meanwhile, Bosh will counter by forcing the Pacers' big men into what he describes as “unorthodox positions” in order to disrupt their comfort zone. Bosh knows it's not necessarily a glamorous job. It might not come with normal perks like points, rebounds or other statistical measures.
But there are fringe benefits that come with keeping the Pacers on the edge.
“I would like to think the threat of my impact is pretty strong,” Bosh said. “I've had to learn that since coming here, how to be a more well-rounded player, how you can affect the game without many play calls. It's not easy. But I just hang in there. If I get their guys a couple of steps out of their areas and comfort zone, and LeBron and [Dwyane] Wade get in there and finish, then I've done my job.”
Heat Reaction: Game 1 vs. Pacers
| 102 | Recap | Box score | | 103 |
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Heat Reaction: Game 5 vs. Bulls
 | 91 | Recap | Box score | | 94 |
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Heat Reaction: Game 3 vs. Bulls
| 104 | Recap | Box score | | 94 |
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THERMOSTAT
Heat Reactions past: Bucks-Heat, Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Heat-Bulls, Game 1 | Game 2 
Chris Bosh set a career playoff high with 19 rebounds.
Shane Battier and the nuances of basketball
Issac Baldizon/Getty Images
Neutralizing Carlos Boozer is one of the many subtle "plus plays" from Shane Battier so far.
MIAMI – Every so often you’ll glance at the official box score after a game and see a number that is so extreme that you’ll feel the urge to report it as an error. After Game 2 between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls, there was one of these such moments.
In particular, the stat line next to Shane Battier’s name. In 22 minutes on the floor, Battier scored a measly three points on 1-for-3 shooting from downtown. He collected one steal, one rebound, one assist and got whistled for one foul. He attempted no free throws, took zero 2-pointers and didn’t block at shot.
Pretty standard Shane Battier game. Except for one thing:
His plus-minus for the game was plus-42.
I repeat: plus-42. That means that the Heat outscored the Bulls by 42 points in Battier’s 22 minutes on the floor. Has to be a typo, right? Has to be.
Of course, it wasn’t. As hard as it is to believe, the Heat actually outscored the Bulls 68 -26 in those 22 minutes that Battier was on the floor. It does not seem possible that such a blowout could occur in less than a half of basketball, but that's what happened.
“I saw that,” Battier said at Thursday’s practice when asked about it. “Bizarre.”
It’s so bizarre that, according to NBA StatsCube, we haven’t seen a plus-minus that large in the playoffs in almost a decade. Not since 2005 when Jason Terry posted a plus-43 in 40 minutes of action in a win over the Houston Rockets.
But Battier’s plus-42 feels more impressive considering A) he only played 22 minutes and; B) he barely did anything in the box score.
Battier gets geeked up about these sort of things. The way he talks about it, it’s almost as if someone challenged Battier to game the system: try to win games without leaving a footprint in the box score.
“That’s all I try to do,” Battier said of his plus-minus. “That’s my mindset: I want my plus-minus to be up as high as possible. I take pride in that.”
The Heat’s coaching staff couldn’t believe it either when they saw it. But then they looked at the film. And there was Battier, making winning plays that the box score misses. Battier wasn’t responsible for all of that 42-point deficit, but it’s no coincidence that the Bulls have outscored the Heat by 17 points in this series when Battier’s on the bench, but lost by 47 with Battier on the floor.
At Thursday morning’s film session, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra pulled up video of Battier doing what he does best: rebound blockouts. He showed his team three clips in a row of Battier attempting to transform his 6-foor-8, 220 body into a human shield against Carlos Boozer (who weighs 50 pounds heavier than Battier) and Joakim Noah (who stands several inches taller). These were textbook blockouts that a man of Battier’s frame shouldn’t be able to accomplish.And Spoelstra wanted his team to take notes.
“He was making blockouts that 99 percent of the players in this league won’t do,” Spoelstra said. “The focus and the level of effort with no regard for his health.”
Battier doesn’t want the rebound as long as his man doesn’t get it. Part of that is because he usually can't get the rebound.
“I don’t rebound anymore, I’m too old for that,” Battier said. “But I blockout every time. If you look at our team rebounding percentage, it’s usually up when I’m in.”
He’s right. So far in the Eastern Conference semifinals matchup, the Heat have hauled in 52.9 percent of the available rebounds while Battier is on the court, according to NBA.com/stats. In other words, the Heat have won the rebounding battle with Battier in the game despite being woefully undersized against the Bulls frontline. And when Battier and his blockouts check out of the game, the Heat’s rebounding rate drops to 47.9 percent. The disparity is larger when you zoom out and look at the entire postseason.
Because of these essential blockouts, Battier allows the Heat to go small and space the floor against the stronger, bigger Bulls. So far, he’s been a difference-maker in this series.
“I’m beyond the point where I expect people to fully appreciate my game, unless you’re a basketball guy and really understand the nuances of the game,” Battier said. “My game is 100 percent nuance. The 3-point shot is the only thing that’s tangible that people talk about.”
Another thing: Boozer has shot 0-for-5 and has scored no points with Battier on the floor. That impact can’t be understated. Outside of Luol Deng (who has been out this series with spinal tap complications), Boozer was the Bulls’ leading scorer this season and Battier has completely neutralized that threat.
Of course, he receives none of the credit in the box score.
Another example of Battier’s subtle impact? How about when LeBron James stole a cross-court pass from Nate Robinson in the first quarter. How’d that happen? Because Robinson wanted to get the ball to Boozer in the post, but he became so frustrated that Battier was successfully fronting Boozer that he impatiently flung the ball across the court to Marco Belinelli in the corner. James picked off the pass and got the steal, but Battier probably should get the credit.
Then there’s the time Battier took a charge against Robinson in the second quarter. Or the 3-pointer that Mario Chalmers made after Battier freed him up with a screen. Or how the numerous times he dragged his defender to the corner, thereby taking away one help defender and opening it up for a teammate.
None of it in the box score.
“I bust my ass to the corner every single time to help flatten the defense out because I know if I do that, LeBron (James), Dwyane (Wade) and Mario (Chalmers) will have room to attack,” Battier said. “If I stop at the break of the arc, it makes the difference between them going for a layup and having to pull up for a jumper. “
For Game 3, most of the audience will probably be fixated on the potential return of Derrick Rose, the job of the referees or the growing animosity between these two teams. But beneath it all, Battier will probably be lurking, making all the difference.
Heat Reaction: Game 4 vs. Bucks
| 88 | Recap | Box score | 77 |  |
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THERMOSTAT
Heat Reactions past: Bucks-Heat, Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3LeBron James has turned it over at least five times in four of his past five playoff games, dating back to the 2012 NBA Finals. The Heat's record in those four turnover-prone games? 4-0.
