With four players eclipsing the 20-point mark, the Miami Heat turned back the Indiana Pacers to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff match-up.

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The Heat used a balanced offensive attack as they escaped the Pacers in regulation and come away with a 124-115 victory. Jimmy Butler led all Miami scorers with 27 markers, to go along with his 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Veteran point guard Goran Dragic was also instrumental in the win, pouring in 24 points, 6 dimes and 3 interceptions.

Even with a 2-0 series advantage entering the contest, it seemed like Miami was the more desperate team in the first half. They built an 18-point lead after the first two quarters, but the Pacers turned it up a notch in the second half. Indy trimmed the deficit to only two points with a little above two minutes left on the clock, but the Heat answered with their own 8-0 run to cushion the blow.

All-Star center Bam Adebayo tallied a double-double outing for the Heat, finishing with 22 points, 11 boards and 5 assists. Rookie gunner Tyler Herro produced 20 markers off the bench, while Duncan Robinson and Jae Crowder chipped in 15 and 11 points, respectively.

Malcolm Brogdon led the charge for the Pacers with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 14 dimes. T.J Warren contributed 23 points and 5 steals, and Victor Oladipo amassed 20 markers in 33 minutes of playing time.

SCORES

Heat (124) – Butler 27, Dragic 24, Adebayo 22, Herro 20, Robinson 15, Crowder 11, Iguodala 3, Olynyk 2, Jones Jr. 0

Pacers (115) – Brogdon 34, Warren 23, Oladipo 20, Turner 15, A. Holiday 10, J. Holiday 9, McDermott 2, Sampson 2, McConnell 0