National Basketball Association rivalry
Heat?Pacers rivalry
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Miami_Heat_-_Indiana_Pacers%2C_2013%2C_11.jpg/220px-Miami_Heat_-_Indiana_Pacers%2C_2013%2C_11.jpg) |
Teams
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First meeting
| January 15, 1989
Heat 118, Pacers 117
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Latest meeting
| April 7, 2024
Pacers 117, Heat 115
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Meetings total
| 159
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All-time series
| 85?74 (IND)
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Regular season series
| 74?56 (IND)
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Postseason results
| 18?11 (MIA)
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Longest win streak
| IND W11
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Current win streak
| IND W2
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The
Heat?Pacers rivalry
is a
basketball
rivalry between the
Indiana Pacers
and the
Miami Heat
of the
National Basketball Association
(NBA). The rivalry started in
1988
with the creation of the Heat franchise. The two historic organizations have faced each other 5 times in the
NBA Playoffs
with Indiana winning their first matchup 4?2 in the
2004
Eastern Conference Semifinals. Most recently, the rivalry was renewed when Miami swept Indiana in the
2020
Eastern Conference First Round.
Pacers fans have adopted the slogan
"Beat The Heat!"
while playing Miami during their playoff battles and will often display the chant on clothing apparel, signs, and banners outside
Gainbridge Fieldhouse
. Much like the
Knicks?Pacers rivalry
, there is a mutual level of respect for the hustle, competitiveness, and physicality displayed during each encounter between Miami and Indiana.
During the early 2010s, both teams faced each other three consecutive years in
2012
,
2013
, and
2014
, including back?to?back
Eastern Conference Finals
matchups. Miami's teams consisted of
LeBron James
,
Dwyane Wade
, and
Chris Bosh
, while Indiana's core included star
Paul George
,
David West
,
Roy Hibbert
,
Lance Stephenson
, and
George Hill
. The rivalry grew after several altercations occurred between core players from both teams throughout each series. In
2023
, the last players active on either team was
Udonis Haslem
on the Heat and
George Hill
on the Pacers, who both competed in all three
2012
,
2013
, and
2014
playoff series.
After 6 years of no playoff action, the two met once again in the
2020
first round. Indiana was led by a core of
Victor Oladipo
,
Malcolm Brogdon
,
T.J. Warren
, and
Myles Turner
, with Miami's team containing
Jimmy Butler
,
Bam Adebayo
,
Goran Dragi?
, and
Tyler Herro
. Even though Miami swept Indiana, and Pacers
All?Star
Domantas Sabonis
did not play due to injury, the series remained competitive and physical, building upon a previous in?season altercation between Butler and Warren in which players were ejected and fined.
2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals
[
edit
]
The two franchises first met in the
2004 NBA playoffs
, when Indiana won 4?2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Indiana was seen as title contenders, having the 1st seed in the
Eastern Conference
, and the
best record in the league
, led by
Reggie Miller
,
Jermaine O'Neal
,
Ron Artest
, and
Al Harrington
. The Heat were led by rookie
Dwyane Wade
,
Lamar Odom
,
Eddie Jones
, and
Caron Butler
, with this being Wade's first ever playoff experience. The Pacers would go on to lose in 6 games in the
Eastern Conference Finals
to the eventual
2004 NBA Champion
Detroit Pistons
. Following the
2003?04 NBA season
, and before meeting again in
2012
, Indiana remained competitive in the
Eastern Conference
, while Miami would win their first ever championship in
2006
after acquiring
Shaquille O'Neal
.
2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals
[
edit
]
A true rivalry was triggered in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the
2012 NBA playoffs
. During the series, both head coaches were fined for statements made relating to the officiating:
Frank Vogel
accused the Heat of flopping before the series started, while
Erik Spoelstra
took offense to what he perceived to be deliberate "head?hunting" of his players on the part of the Pacers. In 2012, Indiana took a 2?1 lead after Miami's
Chris Bosh
was sidelined with an abdominal strain. Powered by
LeBron James
and
Dwyane Wade
, Miami won three straight games to take the series, 4?2 and later become
2012 NBA Champions
.
2013 Eastern Conference Finals
[
edit
]
The following season saw improvements for both teams, from Miami's acquisitions of
Ray Allen
and
Chris Andersen
, to the emergence of
Paul George
and
Lance Stephenson
in the absence of
Danny Granger
due to a season?ending injury. Notably, it was after the Heat lost to the Pacers that they compiled a 27?game winning streak; the last time the Heat lost two in a row in the year were the games against Indiana and Portland. During the waning minutes of Game 6 in the Semifinals between the Pacers and the
New York Knicks
, the Pacers' fans were chanting "Beat The Heat" as their team beat their old
New York rivals
. True to form, the Heat and the Pacers met in the Conference Finals of the
2013 NBA playoffs
on May 22, 2013. Several instances of physicality became prominent in the series:
Shane Battier
received an offensive foul for throwing his knee at Hibbert's midsection; Hibbert claimed that it was intentional dirty play on the part of Battier. Andersen suffered a bloodied nose after colliding with
David West
.
Ian Mahinmi
received a retroactive flagrant foul for a grab of James' arm.
Norris Cole
latched a hand on West's groin area as he tried to slip through West. Wade received a retroactive flagrant foul for hitting Stephenson in the head, another incident that the Pacers, notably Paul George, felt was a dirty play. The Heat survived Game 1 on a James game?winning layup, while the Pacers came back to tie the series at 1?1 after forcing James into two late fourth?quarter turnovers for Game 2. In Game 3, the Heat set a team record for points in a post?season half with 70. It was the first time the Pacers had given up 70 points since 1992. Allen's single turnover was the least ever suffered by the Heat in a first half. Their five total turnovers is tied for the fewest in franchise history. The Game 3 victory marked the first time that an NBA team had won five straight road games by double digits. The Heat won the series 4?3, with a 99?76 win in game 7, eventually becoming
2013 NBA Champions
.
[1]
2014 Eastern Conference Finals
[
edit
]
In the
2014 NBA playoffs
, the Pacers and Heat renewed their rivalry in a second consecutive
Eastern Conference Finals
match up. Indiana entered the series with home court advantage, having earned the 1st seed in the
Eastern Conference
, with a 56?26 record during the
2013?14 season
. Indiana's core players from this series included
Paul George
,
David West
,
Lance Stephenson
,
George Hill
,
Roy Hibbert
, and new acquisitions,
Evan Turner
,
Luis Scola
, and
Andrew Bynum
. Likewise, Miami's key players again consisted of
LeBron James
,
Dwyane Wade
,
Chris Bosh
,
Ray Allen
,
Mario Chalmers
, as well as newcomers
Greg Oden
and
Michael Beasley
. Even though the Pacers were viewed as legitimate title contenders, Miami eliminated Indiana again, this time in 6 games.
2020 Eastern Conference First Round
[
edit
]
Indiana and Miami would meet again for the first time since
2014
in the
2020 NBA playoffs
with the Heat sweeping the Pacers in the first round. Indiana was led by
Victor Oladipo
,
Malcolm Brogdon
,
T.J. Warren
and
Myles Turner
. The Heat were led by and
Jimmy Butler
,
Bam Adebayo
,
Goran Dragi?
, and
Tyler Herro
, who ended up reaching the
2020 NBA Finals
. Indiana sustained significant injuries preventing
All?Star
Domantas Sabonis
and
Jeremy Lamb
from playing in the
2020 NBA Bubble
.
References
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]
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Franchise
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Arenas
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Personnel
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G League affiliate
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Retired numbers
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ABA championships
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Rivalries
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Culture and lore
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Franchise
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Arenas
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Personnel
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G League affiliate
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Retired numbers
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NBA championships
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Rivalries
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Culture and lore
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