Oladipo helps Pacers top Heat in OT to clinch playoff spot
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Victor Oladipo had 23 points and five assists to help the Indiana Pacers clinch a playoff berth with a 113-107 overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Thaddeus Young had 22 points, nine rebounds and five steals, and Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who secured their seventh appearance in the postseason in the last eight seasons.
Tyler Johnson made five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points, James Johnson had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Bam Adebayo added 14 points for the Heat, who split the four-game season series.
Darren Collison finished with 12 points, made the go ahead 3-pointer to put the Pacers ahead 101-100 with 2:49 remaining in overtime, and Indiana scored 11 straight points to pull away. The Pacers took a 109-102 lead with Collison’s 3-pointer with 55 seconds left to play.
Miami coach Eric Spoelstra missed the first game of his career, leaving Indianapolis on Saturday after learning his wife Nikki was entering labor. Assistant coach Dan Craig filled in and Spoelstra is expected to return for Miami’s home game against Cleveland on Tuesday.
Indiana trailed by 14 in the first half and went on a 9-1 run late in the second quarter to take a 50-46 lead on Oladipo’s jumper with 2:22 remaining in the half.
The Heat then scored seven straight, including a dunk and two free throws by Adebayo. And James Johnson’s free throw gave with under a second left gave Miami a 52-52 halftime lead.
The Heat came back from an eight-point deficit in the second half. Johnson forced overtime with a free throw with 8.3 seconds left in regulation.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami had 10 turnovers in the first half and finished with 17 overall. . Tyler Johnson had 12 points in the first quarter alone. . Adebayo also had five rebounds.
Pacers: Indiana shot 66.7 percent in the overtime period and 48.9 percent overall. … Forward Domantas Sabonis was out for a sixth straight game with a left sprained ankle.
UP NEXT
Heat: Host Cleveland on Tuesday.
Pacers: At Golden State on Tuesday for the first of a four-game west coast trip.