By Zak Keefer
They will sidestep the question and downplay the significance, but the Miami Heat hauled in Greg Oden and his creaky 7-foot frame to combat one player and one team in one playoff series.
Roy Hibbert’s dominance around the basket is a sight the Heat know all too well, and one they sought to avoid in a probable playoff match-up looming with Indiana this spring. The Pacers’ All-Star center netted games of 29, 24 and 23 in last year’s seven-game playoff war and never scored less than 18.
Miami had no answer. So in the offseason, they went looking for one.
Roy Hibbert comes out ON FIRE. The All-Star center has 9 points in the first 6+ minutes. #BeastsOfTheEast battle on ESPN.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 27, 2014
Early on, it became readily apparent Hibbert would enjoy his finest game in a month, connecting on 7-of-11 shots from the floor for 17 points by halftime. He’d finish with 21 points, his highest output since Feb. 27.
After Hibbert’s early dominance, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wanted to see no more, so he elected not to start Oden in the second half, choosing instead to throw veteran Udonis Haslem in his spot.
To continue reading the article visit IndyStar
