Early on Thursday afternoon, the 2020 NBA playoffs will continue inside the Disney World bubble with Game 2 between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat. The Pacers will be eager to get a win and tie up this first-round series at 1-1 after losing by double digits in Game 1 earlier this week.
Whether or not the Pacers can do that depends largely on the status of their star guard, Victor Oladipo. He left Game 1 late in the first quarter after getting poked in the eye, and though he thankfully avoided any serious injury, his status for Thursday is still up in the air.
Miami, meanwhile, will be looking for another big game from All-Star Jimmy Butler. In his first playoff game for the franchise, Butler came up big in the clutch, scoring 10 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter to help the Heat pull away.
How to Watch Pacers-Heat Game 2
- Date: Thursday, Aug. 20 | 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Disney Wide World of Sports -- Orlando, Florida
- TV: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
- Odds: Heat -4 | Over/Under: 215
Storylines
Pacers: Pretty much everything for the Pacers hinges on Oladipo's status. It's still not clear if he's going to be able to play after his eye injury, but the team will know more closer to game time. With Domantas Sabonis already out, the Pacers can't afford to lose another star, especially against a strong Heat team that can really light it up on the offensive end. Without those two, it's hard to see how they will be able to keep up with Miami.
Heat: When Butler arrived in Miami, it was a perfect match for a player who wanted his own team, and a franchise looking for a new star. Now, it's on Butler to show he can deliver in the playoffs, and he certainly did so in Game 1. There is a sense when he's out on the floor late in games that he's simply not going to let his team lose, and that's a big confidence boost for the Heat as they look to win their first playoff series since 2016.
Game prediction
The Heat are four-point favorites right now, but things will likely change depending on Oladipo's status. Either way, we're going to ride with Butler and Co. in this one. Even though this should be a competitive series, the Heat just feel like a better team, and that's not a big number. Pick: Heat -4
