May 24, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) is defended by Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) in the second quarter of game two of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

The second game of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat was full of tension before it even began. This series has been entertaining and exciting from the beginning when Frank Vogel said that the Miami Heat was just another team, even though that’s not what he said. There were plenty of memories from the playoff series between these two teams last year. Both teams are competitive, skilled and physical.

If anyone doubted the skill or ability of the Indiana Pacers, they changed their minds after game 1. Indiana showed the world that they were just as competitive, if not more so, as the Miami Heat. The game was close, but Indiana was in the drivers seat for most of the game, until the final quarter and overtime.

If the Indiana Pacers hoped to have a chance to win this series they needed to take an early home court game away from the Miami Heat. They knew what was at stake. They knew they needed to go to Indianapolis with an even series. They knew what they had to bring to the court tonight.

Game 2 started well for the Indiana Pacers. They were not only outscoring the Miami Heat they had fewer turnovers, more rebounds, and higher percentages at the three point line and at the free throw line. Even though the score was relatively close to begin with, the Pacers were most definitely in control of this game. At the end of the first three quarters the Pacers were in the lead. In the first half they had a lead as much as 12 points at one time. This was their game to lose.

Paul George looked like the All Star that Pacer fans know that he is. It seemed like he was hitting the shots he needed in the most crucial moments. David West, criticized for his free throw shooting was 9 for 10 into the third quarter. Roy Hibbert was having a much better game. He was pulling down rebounds, but more importantly he was leading the team in scoring. They should’ve felt extremely confident with the way they were playing, however they were still playing the Miami Heat.

The end of the third quarter Paul George repaid LeBron James for his layup at the end of game 1. George beat LeBron off the bounce, drove straight to the basket only George didn’t lay it up like LeBron. Instead he slammed it in the face of Anderson, the “bird man,”

Going into the fourth quarter the Miami Heat pulled the game back within their reach and the fourth quarter didn’t seem so certain. In fact Miami took the lead with a little over 7 minutes left in the game. They went on a seven point run to get up to a four point lead.

The well balanced team put together by Frank Vogel kept their calm and chipped away quickly. Even though they were playing neck and neck with the number one team from this season, they were still missing many opportunities to open their lead and close this game out.

To inspire his team during a time out Frank Vogel said, “They’re a great team, We’re a great team.” The rest of the game continued to go back and forth. Much like the end of the first game and close to the same score. Each block, each shot, each free throw was being matched down the stretch. The looming cloud of LeBron James was closing in overhead. The question in everyones minds. Will LeBron James pull out yet another game winning play? Tonight was not a night to add to his accolades of great finishing moves. Within the last minute of the game James gave away two turnovers with Indiana holding onto the lead. Those back to back turnovers ended up being vital and didn’t allow Miami the shots they needed to come back in this game.

The Indiana Pacers were able to take a much needed road win against the Miami Heat. Winning the game 97-93 and taking away the Miami Heat’s home court advantage for this series. Now they get to go back to Indianapolis and defend their court which they have done all to well so far.

Tomorrow, the two teams kick off another seven-game series, this time in the Eastern Conference finals. Some of the context is the same. The Heat, now defending champions, are favored again and possess the home-court advantage. The series boasts Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Eric Spoelstra versus Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and Frank Vogel. And like last year, the overblown “war of words” has begun.

But as we would expect, there are differences this time around, too. Here are a few of the main ones:

1. The Danny Granger injury. The Pacers have been so productive without him that’s it’s easy to forget that they’re playing without their best scorer from a year ago. Granger didn’t have a great series against the Heat last year, but he did take up a lot of attention from Lebron James and the Heat, attention that this year will probably go toward the Paul George.

It will be interesting to see what kind of role the Miami Heat’s Ray Allen plays in the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers.

2. The health of Chris Bosh. Last year, as you may recall, the Heat’s center and part of “the big three,” Chris Bosh missed most of the series with an injury. It definitely made things more interesting, but the Heat were able to get enough contributions from elsewhere to get the job done. Unless something changes, Bosh will be healthy this year. Against the Chicago Bulls, Bosh played a lot of minutes, scored in double digits in every game except one, and shot four for eight from three-point range. But that doesn’t mean he can guard Roy Hibbert. The two are very different kinds of players, and it should be interesting to watch.

3. The presence of Ray Allen. A year ago, Allen was preparing to take on the Heat as a member of the Boston Celtics. This time around, he plays for the Heat. Let’s be honest, Allen isn’t what he used to but he can still shoot the rock. He averages double figures in points on 40% shooting from 3-point land. Insert that kind of specialty into a lineup with the likes of James, Wade, and Bosh, and you’ve got all sorts of problems defensively.

4. No more Larry Bird. Last year, the Indiana legend and then-Pacers President of Basketball Operations made headlines by challenging the Pacers toughness late in the series against the Heat. He then departed from the organization after the season’s end. It remains to be seen whether the absence of pressure he created will be good or bad for the team.

5. Numbers-one-through-four on this list could suggest an advantage for the Heat, but the Pacers are better than they were a year ago. Their youth is further along in their development. They’ve showcased that fact at times during the playoffs, especially in dismantling the higher-seeded New York Knicks in six games. George and Lance Stephenson, among others, are much improved. During the regular season, the Pacers beat the Heat two out of three times, largely by dominating in the paint. But obviously these games mean more. Are the Pacers ready for the big-time? We will see soon enough.