Heat lose 123-99 to dreadful Pacers amid rocky road trip

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Jan 10, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

INDIANAPOLIS — In theory, this should have been the best version of the Miami Heat.

It was anything but.

Instead, a 123-99 loss Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to the NBA-worst Indiana Pacers.

With Spoelstra moving to a starting lineup seemingly as talented as any started by the team this season, the response was an early 25-point deficit and a rally that fell short to the degree that the bench was emptied with eight minutes remaining and the Heat down 25.

And this was supposed to be the easy part, with the Heat’s next four games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and then Thunder again.

So make it two losses and a postponed game to start this trip, Thursday night’s two-hour delay before postponement at Chicago United Center no longer the most annoying aspect of the week away from Kaseya Center.

Tuesday night’s trip-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was one thing; the Timberwolves are contenders. The only thing the Pacers are contending for is the No. 1 pick in June’s draft.

Tyler Herro led the Heat with 21 points in his return to the starting lineup, but there were just 13 points from Bam Adebayo and only six from Norman Powell, whose career-best streak of double-figure games ended at 35.

Five degrees of Heat from Saturday night’s game:

— Game flow: The Heat went down 24 early and trailed 36-18 after the first period, their second fewest points in a period this season. The deficit then stood at 61-45 at halftime.

The Heat then climbed within seven early in the third quarter, before it quickly went south again, falling behind by 29 in the quarter and going into the fourth down 99-72.

In many ways the tone was set at the outset, when Herro and Adebayo each airballed 3-point attempts.

— Full house: With a full complement of rotation players, it led to adjustments beyond the starting lineup.

With Herro returning to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 9 after dealing with a toe contusion, a move into the starting lineup that was supposed to come in Thursday night’s postponed game in Chicago, Spoelstra rounded out his starting lineup with Powell, Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell.

Spoelstra then went with a bench cast of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, Nikola Jovic and Kel’el Ware.

The approach shuffled Dru Smith out of the mix until garbage time and left Kasparas Jakucionis and Simone Fontecchio out of the mix until the waning stages, as well.

— Drought from deep: The Heat opened 0 for 11 on 3-pointers, with their breakthrough from behind the arc not coming until Powell converted the Heat’s first 3-pointer with 10.3 seconds left in the half, ironically his 100th 3-pointer of the season.

That also was Powell’s first basket, after he opened 0 for 8 from the field. Powell was 1 of 6 on 3-pointers in the first half, Herro 0 for 3.

From there, bad went to worse. At one point midway through the third period, the Heat stood 2 of 19 on 3-pointers, while, at the same time, former Heat summer-league and G League prospect Micah Potter was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc.

Powell closed 2 of 12 from the field, 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, the Heat 4 of 30 as a team.

— Herro ball: Herro had his moments offensively, up to 19 points by the end of the third period. But that also included 1 of 7 3-point shooting to that stage.

He closed 8 of 19 from the field, including 1 of 8 on 3-pointers, although he did add seven rebounds and four assists.

The Heat were outscored by 14 during his minutes.

— Lots of Thunder: The Heat not only get the unenviable task of having to play the second night of this back-to-back set on Sunday against the rested Thunder, but it will be one of two games this week against the defending NBA champions.

In addition to Sunday’s game at Paycom Center against the league-leading 32-7 Thunder, the Heat will host the Thunder on Saturday night at Kaseya Center.

The Heat have been swept 2-0 by the Thunder each of the past two seasons.

While the Thunder sat reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) and emerging big man Chet Holmgren (shin) in Friday night’s 117-116 victory in Memphis, neither is on Oklahoma City’s injury report for Sunday, with only center Isaiah Hartenstein (leg), among rotation players, listed as out.

____