The Pacers (21-10) return to action on Friday night, tipping off a back-to-back in Miami. Their opponents, the Heat (22-8), are perhaps the most surprising story through the first two months of the NBA season.
Miami went 39-43 a year ago and missed the playoffs. Although the offseason addition of All-Star forward Jimmy Butler was expected to elevate the Heat back into the postseason, no one predicted they would be in contention for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.
But so far, the Heat have been one of the league's best teams. They are 13-1 at AmericanAirlines Arena, the best home record in the NBA.