Home-Court “Advantage” Once Again Useless for Pacers

May 20, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) makes a pass against Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) and center Roy Hibbert (55) in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers spent all season talking about getting the number one seed to have home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, and they were able to lock down their wish late in the season. Unfortunately, the move seems to have backfired on them, as they have been one of the historically worst number one seeds at home throughout the first three rounds.  Indiana once again failed to close out the first two games of the series on their home floor, and lost to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Miami was adamant all season long that they didn’t need the home-court advantage to beat Indiana, and they proved it after a very disappointing effort in Game 1. They came out much more poised, and forced the Pacers to get away from their comfort zone. Their defense was great, and it forced Indiana to commit turnovers that led to easy points for the Heat.

So what does this mean for the Pacers? Well, obviously it means that Indiana will have to go down to Miami and win either Game 3 or 4, and if they don’t the series is likely over. The Pacers have been playing the same brand of basketball that took the Heat to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, so hopefully they’ll be able to continue playing at this level. Their fight was there for all but the last five minutes of Game 2, but it is going to take complete 48 minutes of basketball each game to beat the Heat.

Indiana’s road is not going to get easier, and the drama has just begun in this series. The Pacers had a chance to deal a death blow, but were unable to play the smashmouth, killer basketball that would have finished it off. It seems that the Pacers go through identity changes during every single game, and they go for long periods of time without doing what obviously works for them.

Overall, this was a very deflating loss for the Pacers and their goal for the number one seed is backfiring in a major way. The Pacers need to figure themselves out and find a way to win one of the next two games in Miami, and have a chance to come back home in Game 5 and take a 3-2 lead. This series certainly has the makings of yet another seven-game finish.

Evan Massey is an Editor for InkOnIndy.com. Follow Evan on Twitter at @Massey_Evan. Make sure to follow us on twitter, @InkOnIndy, and “Like” us on Facebook.