Miami Heat have taken a 2-0 lead in the Playoffs series against the Indiana Pacers with a groundbreaking performance by Duncan Robinson. Before heading into the seeding games, the Miami-based outfit was bested by the Pacers only on one occasion. And it seems like they want to keep it that way.
It will be an uphill battle for the Pacers from here on out. The momentum that they had established for themselves before the Playoffs has been shattered.
Duncan Robinson and the Miami Heat create history
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Heat’s 109-100 win over Pacers was iconic from the very start. The game kicked off with Duncan’s three consecutive three-pointers, after which he outshined everyone on the court.
The Heat’s three-point shooting was too much for the Pacers to hold off. Following his stupefying performance, Robinson now stands alongside Robert Horry as the only other player in the history of NBA to make 7+ three’s without any 2-point attempts in a playoff match.
Duncan Robinson joins Robert Horry as the only players in NBA history to make 7+ threes without taking any 2-point attempts in a playoff game. pic.twitter.com/Dz8DFzMzyh
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 20, 2020
In addition, the Heat have created franchise history by making 17 three’s in a playoffs game. Goran Dragic was the next big performer after Robinson. He chipped in 20 points and 6 assists.
Coming in at third was the Heat’s star player, Jimmy Butler, with 18 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and two-steal performances.
Heat has 17 made threes today. That's the most made threes in a playoff game in Heat history.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) August 20, 2020
Jimmy Butler has constantly been criticized for being unequipped to shoot three’s, a claim he effectively nullified. Heat’s official Twitter handle posted a comment mocking everyone who felt otherwise about Butler.
They wrote, “JiMMy cAn’T sHooT tHrEEs” with a clown emoticon to establish the status of people who remain unconvinced.
“JiMMy cAn’T sHooT tHrEEs” – 🤡
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 20, 2020
What does Game 3 look like?
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Heat’s defense was already tight in Game 1. They made sure that they gave the Pacers a hard time inside the paint. The Pacers’ star defender, Victor Oladipo, shouldered the responsibility of leading his team to a comeback. However, he was unable to produce a powerful performance.
The Pacers really need to work on their offense to sneak a win in Game 3. Their defense needs to tighten up to avoid Heat from penetrating into the paint as well as they do. T. J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon did not stand up to the expectations and need to step it up if they want to redeem themselves.
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