The Indiana Pacers visit the Miami Heat on Friday in a possible preview of the Eastern Conference finals. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Listen to the live radio broadcast via the links provided below.
Indiana got the better of Miami when they last met. The Pacers pulled away with an 84-83 win in the March 26 game but went on to lose five of their next seven games. Miami hasn't fared much better, losing 11 of their last 21 games, and are neck-and-neck with Indiana for the Eastern Conference's top spot.
With playoffs around the corner, every win down the stretch matters.
"It's going to be intense," Heat forward Chris Bosh told the Associated Press. "It's going to be a hard-fought game. There's something at stake. It'll pretty much be the playoffs and I think it'll be a great atmosphere. ... We expect them at their best. Everybody we play, we expect them at their best because that's what we get."
Miami, though, is not without injuries. Dwyane Wade is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Greg Oden continues to deal with back spasms that have led to him missing nine straight games, Udonis Haslem has the flu and Chris Anderson has a sore knee. It's uncertain if any of them will be available on Friday, according to the Associated Press.
Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak on Wednesday with a 104-102 win at Milwaukee. Pacers coach Frank Vogel opted to sit his entire starting rotation for the game, seemingly out of punishment -- or simply to rest them -- for their lack of effort in Sunday's blowout loss to Atlanta.
"It's huge for us," Pacers guard Chris Copeland said. "Obviously it gives some of our banged-up starters an opportunity to rest and heal up. It's big for our confidence, for the second unit. This is going to take 15 guys to make a run at this thing."
Listen to the live radio broadcast HERE (IND) and HERE (MIA). NBA TV will broadcast the game.
