The Miami Heat came away with an exciting comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers by a final score of 103-100 in overtime on Monday.
This marked the second straight time that the Heat found themselves in overtime in the second half of a back-to-back. Unlike the last time, Miami's legs seemed fresh in OT which allowed it to come away with the hard-fought win. Nearly a week ago, Miami fell in overtime to Memphis. This victory was the third in a row for the Heat who have not lost since that defeat.
The game was delayed at the start due to lighting issues at AmericanAirlines Arena. Both teams warmed up on the court multiple times and spent time in the locker room during the delay. Eventually arena staff put hockey lighting into effect which led to a dimmer situation, but enough for the game to take place.
Once things got underway, Miami started slow. The Pacers did not appear to have their rhythm thrown off as they opened up a ten-point lead after one quarter of play. Miami would do a better job in the second quarter when it cut the lead to three going into the half.
In the third quarter, the Pacers extended their lead back to eight which set things up for a competitive fourth quarter. When Indiana's Monta Ellis hit a jumper with 16 seconds left, Miami found itself down by one. Eventually the ball ended up in Dwyane Wade's hands with two seconds to go and his team down two. Wade did what he's done his whole career when he tied the game with a driving layup at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
In the extra five minutes, Wade continued to be a focal point. The All-Star made multiple clutch baskets down the stretch. The guard also helped with a critical rebound following a missed free-throw with seconds to go.
Miami was without Hassan Whiteside as the center was scratched before the game with a sore knee. Whiteside is considered day-to-day and is likely to return for Miami's next game. Without Whiteside available, the Heat turned to Chris Andersen for the start. Andersen who has not played much this season ended up with only ten minutes of court time and little impact.
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Chris Bosh had 31 points which was the highest total for any Miami player this year. Bosh also added 11 rebounds to give him another double-double. Bosh has four double-doubles in his last seven games.
The Heat will try to extend their win streak to four games when they host the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
