Holding off Pacers is sign of progress

Heat avoid collapse in home opener, unlike last season.

MIAMI — The Heat were in the same spot Saturday as they were in last season’s home opener.

Miami led Charlotte by 19 points in the third quarter a year ago and allowed the Hornets to storm back and win by six.

The Heat jumped to a 21-point lead during the third quarter against Indiana on Saturday and the Pacers cut the deficit to two points late in the game.

But this time, in this season of renewed hope and higher expectations, Miami hung on for a 112-108 victory.

The Heat gladly will take the win while also knowing they have to put away an opponent when it is reeling.

“Last year ... we probably would have lost it,” guard Dion Waiters said. “Those type of games, we just got to finish it. We’re up that big ... you just can’t take it for granted especially in a league like this.

“I think we let up. We just got to do a better job of making it easier on ourselves and not making it harder down the stretch like we did. There are things we can clean up, but most importantly we got the win. That’s all that matters.”

The Heat (1-1) led 87-66 with five minutes to play in the third quarter. The Pacers slowly chipped away, cutting it to single digits with 10:42 to play. Miami pushed the lead back up to 14, but Indiana went on a 20-8 run to make the home opening-night crowd at AmericanAirlines Arena very nervous.

“I think when we built the lead our defense was active,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our deflections, hands, multiple efforts, that was more in the direction of what we want to get to with our identity.

“In the fourth quarter during that middle stretch, I think our offensive execution, our shot selection was not where it needed to be. But it was good to go through all the emotions of a close game and having to be able to execute on both ends to get the win.”

The game was up for grabs when newly-anointed captain James Johnson stepped to the line with 11.1 seconds remaining and Miami leading 110-108.

Johnson had missed all but two of his seven previous free throws in the two games this season when the game was on his shoulders.

Johnson calmly swished both to account for the final score.

“Personally, I’d rather shoot those ones than the first ones that I get,” Johnson said. “(Free throws early in games) are the ones I’m thinking more about. (Late free throws) my heart just ticks different.”

Miami needs to take advantage of these games against teams projected to finish in the bottom half of the conference, something they didn’t do in Orlando on Wednesday. The next opportunity comes tonight at home against Atlanta.

Miami once again faces an opponent on the second night of a back-to-back as it did with the Pacers. Atlanta played at Brooklyn Sunday afternoon.

“We are always satisfied with the win,” said guard Goran Dragic, who led Miami with 23 points. “But we’re going to try to correct these mistakes. We didn’t play good defense (in the fourth quarter) and our shots were one- or two-pass shots. We just need to play the way we played in the second and third quarters.

“I’m looking forward to getting better.”