MIAMI — Malcolm Brogdon scored 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting and the Indiana Pacers beat the Miami Heat 137-110 Friday night.
The Pacers, who had lost eight of their last 10, were never threatened after building a double-digit lead late in the second quarter. Indiana finished with its highest scoring total ever against Miami, including the playoffs — topping the previous high of 127 in 1992.
Domantas Sabonas had 13 points and 15 rebounds and T.J. McConnell finished with 16 points and 15 assists for the Pacers. IDoug McDermott and Justin Holiday added 17 points each. The Pacers shot 20-of-36 on 3-pointers and Brogdon tied a season high with seven.
Trevor Ariza was scorelesss in his Heat debut. Ariza joined the 10th team of his 16-year NBA career after Miami acquired the 35-year-old forward from Oklahoma City in exchange for Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second round pick Wednesday.
TIP-INS
Pacers: Jeremy Lamb scored 12 points after sitting out the last three games because of left knee soreness. … An 8-0 run to start the second half solidified the Pacers’ double-digit lead.
Heat: Udonis Haslem (contact tracing issues) and Avery Bradley (calf) were out. … Miami swept Indiana in last season’s opening playoff round and this was the first meeting between the clubs this season.
MINI-SERIES
This was the start of the ninth mini-series for the Heat this season; they have swept one, been swept in two and split the other five so far. Miami has two more of the back-to-backs against the same opponent remaining, with Chicago on April 24 and 26 and Boston on May 9 and 11. It’s the fourth and final such series for Indiana, which has split its first three.
SPOELSTRA SPEAKS
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose mother is from the Philippines, spoke out pregame on the nationwide spike of anti-Asian violence. “Look, I am Asian American. I’m proud to be Asian American. And seeing what’s happening, with another just outright form of racism and hatred, it really is sickening,” Spoelstra said. “It breaks my heart. It is despicable.”
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Sunday in Miami.
