The Indiana Pacers worked all season to earn home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference Finals and for the first time this postseason, they won Game 1 of a series at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Paul George led the way with 24 points, seven assists and four rebounds as the Pacers topped the Heat, 107-96, on Sunday afternoon. It was the perfect time for them to put forth their best effort of the playoffs, in terms of energy, aggressiveness and offense (even though the defense might have left something to be desired). The 107 points Indiana scored was their highest total this postseason and marked just the second time in 14 games they've reached triple-digits. 

They shot 51.5% from the field, including an impressive 8-for-19 from three, and had a huge advantage at the foul line. The Pacers attempted 37 free throws to just 15 for the defending-champion Heat. That was the difference in the game as Miami struggled from deep (6-for-23) but shot 51.3% overall.

Looking more engaged than we've come to expect over the last three months, the Pacers outrebounded the smaller Heat by nine. Roy Hibbert, who was up-and-down in the semifinal series against the Washington Wizards, was a force offensively and on the glass. He was Indiana's leading rebounder (9) and scored 19 points on an efficient 13 shots. That's because he made several trips to the line, going 9-for-13. He attempted two fewer free throws than the Heat did as a team.

Frank Vogel enjoyed a very balanced effort from his starting five. George Hill, Lance Stephenson, George, David West and Hibbert all scored at least 15 points. The trio of Stephenson, George and West combined to shoot 23-for-36 (63.8%) from the field. The Heat didn't have a defensive answer for West, who closed out the Wizards on Thursday night with a virtuoso performance. Not even LeBron James could check the forward, who had 19 points (8-for-11) and seven rebounds.

The Pacers tend to lean on West when a basket is needed and he answered the call several times in Game 1. After LeBron made a layup three minutes into the second half that brought the Heat to within 61-52, West answered with a jumper to push the lead back to double-digits. Three minutes later, Indiana's advantage ballooned to eighteen. 

With Miami working to remain within striking distance midway through the fourth quarter, West came to the rescue yet again. He bookended a pair of George free throws with a layup and a dunk, forcing Erik Spoelstra to waive the white flag.

West made several timely shots, but the Pacers as a team did a great job of staying several possessions ahead of the Heat. They raced out to a 7-0 lead and answered every mini Miami run with one of their own. In the wire-to-wire victory, which began on a Hill three less than a minute into the game, Indiana never led by fewer than four after, you guessed it, a hook shot by West with 7:18 left in the first period. The Heat aren't a team that is going to pack it in, which kept George and Co. on their toes. An underrated moment came with 108 seconds into the fourth when George hit a six-footer and was fouled by Chris Andersen. The ensuing foul shots pushed Indiana's lead to 86-74 and the Heat never got back within ten points.

The Pacers entered the series as the underdog despite being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The series is far from over, but at the very least they now have everyone's attention. It remains to be seen if they will continue to play well enough for that attention remain positive.

Lance Stephenson

Stephenson is often the straw that stirs Indiana's drink and on Sunday afternoon he mixed things up perfectly. He brought controlled energy to the floor and his teammates followed suit from the opening tip. Stephenson stirred up a different drink before the series began when he mentioned running Dwyane Wade around the court to tire his balky knees.

Wade didn't seem to be slowed at all, scoring a game-high 27 points on 12-for-18 shooting, but Stephenson certainly kept him engaged on the other end of the floor. Not only did he go 8-for-12, but he also had a game-high eight assists. When the ball sticks, the primary offenders are Stephenson and George. The offense is at it's best when the Pacers are sharing the ball. They assisted on 23 of their 35 field goals.

Chris Bosh

Indiana was happy to let LeBron and Wade dominate the offense because Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh, especially, struggled. The Heat made 40 field goals in the loss with 23 coming from James/Wade. Chalmers and Bosh combined to go 6-for-21. Bosh missed all five threes he attempted and grabbed just two rebounds.

Bosh also struggled defensively, getting fooled by West on a fourth quarter bucket that was a perfect example of his afternoon. A subpar Bosh would make things a lot easier for the Pacers, but they shouldn't hold their breath waiting for him to play like he did in Game 1 again. There is also the LeBron factor. Even if Bosh struggles, LBJ will simply take over more often.

Troublesome Stats

Winning Game 1 is the best-possible scenario for any team in any series, but there were troubling signs for the Pacers in Sunday's victory. Neither team was happy with their defense in the opener and between the two clubs Miami has the better and more consistent offense.

The Pacers have scored 101.3 points per 100 possessions in the playoffs, worst among all 16 clubs, while the Heat have led the league with 115.3 points per 100 possessions. Indiana got past the Hawks and Wizards because they have the best defensive rating -- 99.6. Miami ranks fifth at 106.8. No matter how hot the Pacers get throughout the series, they'll be hard pressed to shoot 52% again.

Miami shot well, but were outdone from deep and at the line. The game would have been much different if the Heat didn't shoot 26.1% from three and attempt just 15 foul shots because they dominated three other offensive factors. 

The Heat had the advantage in the paint (54-38), on the fast break (21-6) and in second-chance points (11-8). Nine times out of 10, that means a Miami victory.