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Jimmy Butler & Goran Dragic combine for 52 points to lead Heat to Game 1 win vs Pacers

The Heat beat Indiana by 12 in the first game of their first-round matchup.

Via NBA.com

Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat to the win in their first game of the 2020 NBA playoffs with a 28-point outing on Tuesday. The Heat took Game 1 of their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers, beating their Eastern Conference rivals 113-101 to take the advantage into their next outing, which comes on Thursday this week.

Butler went 8/15 from the field, adding 10 free throws as he set the pace for Miami, grinding the Pacers down with constant driving to the basket and shocking them with two huge triples nearing the end of the fourth quarter.

Goran Dragic got off to a very slow start, scoring just three points in the first half. But the veteran point guard finished the game with 24 points after starting over Kendrick Nunn, who had been Erik Spoelstra’s main guy at the point all season.

The Heat got major contributions from Bam Adebayo and rookie Tyler Herro, with Bam going for a double-double via 17 points and 10 rebounds, as well as six assists, and Herro recording 15 points in his first career playoff game.

The Pacers, though, had to endure most of the game without their key man Victor Oladipo, who exited the game in the first quarter after what appeared to be an eye injury and did not return. Malcolm Brogdon and TJ Warren took on the brunt of the scoring, each dropping 22 points in a game that remained close and saw several lead changes. But Miami took control heading into the final quarter and managed to keep Indiana under control throughout.

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