Dragic game-winner seals 113-112 Heat win against Pacers

Goran Dragic completed a frantic possession with a game-winning shot for the 113-112 Miami Heat home win against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

Miami had three chances to get the 20th and final lead change of the night and then Derrick Jones Jr. sealed the win with a defensive stop against Aaron Holiday.

The Pacers missed their first four shots in the game but quickly bounced back, just as they would do throughout the night despite being shorthanded without Malcolm Brogdon, their leading scorer and playmaker. Indiana would take charge with a 7-0 run to start the second quarter that gave them a nine-point lead, but a Kelly Olynyk 3-pointer after the Heat had missed nine of their last 11 shots kick-started a run of their own, including a pair of Tyler Herro assists, one of which led to a spectacular reverse dunk courtesy of Derrick Jones Jr.

A 9-3 run to end the first half only netted the Heat a slight 58-55 lead, but the second quarter, in which Miami shot 57% from the field for 33 points and only had two turnovers, helped turn the game around after poor shooting (39% FG) and some sloppy play in the opening quarter.

Miami scored nine straight to open their biggest lead of the night at 91-82 early in the fourth quarter, but a pair of Doug McDermott triples put them right back in the game. A few minutes later the Pacers would go on a 13-2 run to grab the lead again at 106-102, but the Heat once again clawed right back and the two teams would trade leads down the stretch to set up a thrilling ending.

The Heat out-rebounded the Pacers 56-34 but committed 13 turnovers compared to just four for Indiana. With such a close game on the line, the team shot 17-19 from the charity stripe led by Jimmy Butler’s 14 makes in 15 attempts.

Miami next hosts the Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow night.