The fantastic combination of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade proved to be too much for the Indiana Pacers. Despite dropping two of the first three games in the semifinal series, the Miami Heat eliminated the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Game 6.

These Pacers won’t want to hear anything about a moral victory, but the young team represented themselves very well against the most-hyped and newsworthy team in the NBA.

While they were blown out in Game 5 and things only remained close down the stretch in the final game because the Pacers scratched and clawed to keep themselves alive, but they should take some satisfaction in delivering a serious wakeup call to the Heat.

Through the first three games of the series, Wade seemed to be on autopilot as he played a two-man game with LeBron that involved the other hovering around the perimeter as one attacked offensively. With two days off to ruminate after Game 3, Miami was a much different team from going forward.

Wade had his knee drained at some point in between the third and fourth game, but he might as well have traveled to Germany for Orthokine therapy on the joint. In the final three games, all Miami wins, he averaged 33 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 61.5% shooting from the floor.

Those efforts came after Wade dropped just five points on 2-for-13 shooting in Game 3.

Despite the terrific numbers, second-year wing Paul George generally played very well defensively on Wade. There were times when the 2006 Finals MVP was able to drive past George and make floaters over the outstretched arm of Roy Hibbert, but more often than not he simply drilled contested jumpers.

LeBron was dazzling in his own right, including a Game 4 performance (40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists on just 27 shots) for the ages that essentially saved Miami’s season. Drifting away from the three-point line has clearly served him well. He shot 50.4% in six games against Indiana and that was down nearly three points from his regular season average.

The Pacers claimed they were willing to concede Danny Granger’s offense knowing that he would be chasing LeBron around, but in the end his decreased production hurt them more than they let on. He scored just 13 points a game on 36.5% shooting and three of Indiana’s four losses came as a result of a poorly functioning offensive.

If Indiana had been able to take out Miami it would have been a win for the team-first movement and perhaps even a one-two punch if Philadelphia beats Boston on Saturday night in Game 7. Instead, it remains true that 95% of the time the team with the best player on the floor wins a playoff series. The Pacers faced even greater odds with the Heat owning the two best and for the first half of Game 1 possibly even the top three.

Frank Vogel and Co. also missed out on a chance to do some serious damage in the Eastern Conference. I maintained before the start of either semifinal series that the winner of this one would advance all the way to the NBA Finals. If you have watched the Celtics and 76ers throw up on themselves for a majority of the six games played so far you’ll agree.

There are a number of what-ifs that will keep the Pacers up for a few nights, but if things play out in their favor over the next few years they will be able to file these playoffs under ‘Growing Pains.’

-- If they make their free throws and run any semblance of an effective offense in the fourth quarter of Game 1, maybe they go up 3-0 instead of 2-1 in the series.

But then perhaps the sleeping giant that was the Heat would have woken up earlier and those two wins they did enjoy evaporate.

-- If they were able to avoid near-historic offensive slumps, maybe this series goes to seven games and the weight of potentially losing cripples Wade and James.

But the slumps, which the Pacers suffered through all season, were in part a result of Miami’s strong defense and also the weight of the moment.

-- If they don’t commit 20 turnovers in a game that turned out to be their season finale, maybe they are playing again on Saturday.

But then again, if Chris Bosh doesn’t go down in the first 24 minutes of the series, maybe the Heat advance quicker and much more easily than they did.

Writers and reporters can drive themselves nuts playing the what-if game and that’s largely a part of the profession. Can you imagine how many scenarios will be playing out in the heads of the Pacers over the next few days?

The Eastern Conference is going to look considerably different next fall. The Heat will still be there, but Derrick Rose might need the entire season to heal, the Celtics might face reconstruction even if one final ride with the Big Four results in an Eastern Conference Finals berth or more and the Orlando Magic/Dwight Howard remain a comical soap opera.

Another top-three finish should be expected for this team, especially with all they learned this season. The only issue for them in 2013 is that no one is going to take them for granted anymore. The Heat learned that the hard way, nearly having to go the distance to keep their season alive.

There are a number of issues that will have to be dealt with this summer, which thanks to the lockout and a deeper playoff run than the Pacers have enjoyed in quite some time, will come sooner rather than later.

The front office could be in for serious change with every major decision-maker only under contract through this season. Larry Bird remains uncertain of his future as president and underappreciated general manager David Morway has been linked to a number of open positions with other franchises.

As if the possibility of the reigns of the basketball operations changing hands wasn’t enough, big-time choices will have to be made when it comes to the futures of Roy Hibbert and George Hill.

Both players are restricted free agents and were vital parts of the team’s resurgence. I’ll touch on both at great length in the coming weeks, but their impact on the team goes beyond simple Xs and Os. Hibbert has helped draw fans back to the team after a terrible stretch with his ‘Area 55’ section at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Meanwhile, Hill is a hometown kid that brought a lot of winning experience from his days in San Antonio.

Leandro Barbosa and Louis Amundson will hit the open market, meaning that the bench might have to be rebuilt. The powers that be may choose to do so anyway after the unit struggled mightily against the Heat.

Even if they sign Hibbert and Hill, they should have some money left over to make a play in free agency but not enough for a significant difference-maker unless supplementary moves are made. Eric Gordon, another hometown product, is a player that has been linked to the Pacers for several months. However, to afford him would require shuffling, perhaps even letting one or both of Hibbert and Hill go.

All that will depend on what happens in the front office.

If Bird stays, there is a better chance that Indiana makes a strong attempt to re-sign Hibbert/Hill as he looks to add complementary pieces around the young core.

On the other hand, new guidance would lead to greater risks.

The Pacers are relevant once again and should be for years to come. The only problem? Right now, they wish it was because they were still playing basketball.