INDIANAPOLIS — The opposing coaches speak the same language, though their teams are headed in different directions.
For Erik Spoelstra and Frank Vogel, the philosophical bedrock is a commitment to lockdown defense and beatdown offense.
Spoelstra is getting it from his Heat. Vogel isn't from his Pacers. As a result, Miami is playing at a stratospheric level, joining Chicago in what now looks like a two-team race for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers, who looked like a potential challenger just a short time ago, suddenly have fallen into the pack.
"It's about as close to our identity as we've played consistently," Spoelstra said of the Heat, who became the first NBA team in 33 years to win three road games in three nights with a 105-90 rout of the Pacers on Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "Now, the challenge is to be able to sustain that. That's always the challenge for every NBA team, first of all to find your identity and then to play to that. And as other teams try to take it away from you, you still have to impose that and it's not easy.
"There's always an easier way to play, a different style. It takes incredible commitment and incredible effort and energy at both ends to be able to do that. When we do that, ironically, the game becomes easier for us."
It has become tougher for the Pacers because they have slipped out of their identity. Vogel uses the term "smash-mouth basketball" to describe the mindset he wants, which translates to a post-oriented, inside-out offense and a defense that for much of the season was among the best in the league. But Indiana (17-11) has lost four in a row, yielding an average of 103.3 points per game in the process.
"It happens to just about every team, and we look forward to responding," Vogel said. "The morale is we're frustrated and not happy about losing four in a row."
Playing its fifth road game in seven nights, Miami rolled up 68 points and a 29-point lead by halftime. Indiana, opening its first back-to-back-to-back set since 1999, hadn't played since Saturday but looked like the tired team.
Miami became the first team since 1979 Phoenix Suns to win three games on the road in three nights, and the first since the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970-71 to win them all by double-figure margins.
"Our guys wanted this challenge, and we were well aware it had not been done in 40 years, to go back to back to back on the road, be able to stay focused," Spoelstra said. "We threw out anything we could have used as a crutch."
To that end, Spoelstra did not yield to his temptation to give the players the morning off after a victory in Milwaukee on Monday. Instead, he put the team through its usual game-day routine of a morning walkthrough, meeting and film session.
"It was a breakthrough moment for us in these three games, and we’re not done yet with this road trip," Spoelstra said. "We want to close it out in Cleveland (on Friday). This was something we were looking forward to at the beginning of this road trip, to have something to catapult us to another level. It was a good win collectively. We've been very committed to play to that identity that allows us to make the game easier."
The Heat led by as many as 35 in the second half before Indiana chipped into the lead in the final minutes. James scored 23 with nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Wade played just 24 minutes, scoring 16 points. Rookie Norris Cole matched his career-high with 20 points off the bench.
"I think as far as team chemistry, we got better every single night," James said. "We moved the ball. We rebounded and we defended. When we do that, we're very, very tough to beat."
