The Miami Heat came out on top Saturday night with a second straight win, this time over the Indiana Pacers.

Here’s the breakdown on what went right for the Heat, who were once again without Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, while the Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Ben Sheppard and Isaiah Jackson.

The main thing: The Heat out-did themselves on the defensive end in this game, activity-wise. After nabbing 14 steals on Friday, the Heat stole the ball 17 times in this game, (six more than league-leading Phoenix Suns average), en route to the Pacers finishing with 26 turnovers, (nine more than the league-worst team), and a 1st percentile turnover percentage.

The Heat finished with a 15.7 steal percentage in this game. For context, the best steal percentage in the league is 10.8 percent. As a result, the Heat got out in transition for almost a quarter of the game, which ranks in the 97th percentile.

The Heat’s youngest players, Kasparas Jakucionis and Kel’el Ware, both finished with three steals each, along with Andrew Wiggins. Nikola Jovic, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell each finished with two while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Dru Smith both had one.

Relentless attack: Just like in their win over the Hawks on Friday, the Heat dominated their opposition when it came to getting up shots at the rim. They took 51 percent of their shots in the restricted area (98th percentile).

Once again, they did it in a balanced way, finishing with 10 attempts there on put-backs, 14 in the fast-break and 33 in the half-court. Although the ones in the half-court are important, the frequency (and efficiency) of their put-back and fast-break looks are the ones that really set them apart.

Wiggins, Jovic, Powell, Ware, Jaquez and Pelle Larsson were the primary drivers, so to speak, in this aspect, combining to take 44 shots within four feet of the basket, converting on 30, (68 percent).

Another common denominator from both of these games was the Heat getting back to their blistering fast play-style. When accounting for the last two, they’re averaging a 109.75 pace, significantly faster than the 106-plus mark that was leading the league through the first month of the season.

Asked Jaime Jaquez Jr. about the Heat getting back to more shots at the rim over the past 2 games, after their win over the Pacers pic.twitter.com/qklfSLUWU5

— alex toledo (@tropicalblanket) December 28, 2025

The Pacers, just like the Hawks, are not, by any means, a strong defensive team. The opponents are definitely a factor as to why the Heat, who finished this one with a 91st percentile 132.4 offensive rating, are getting going. In the second half alone, they finished with a staggering 151 offensive rating.

Additionally, the Heat finished the game with a three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, (the best in the league is 2.20). Jovic, Larsson and Mitchell alone combined for 19 assists to just four turnovers.

As they did earlier in the season, the Heat are their best when they’re defending, moving the ball and running out in transition for more possessions and more high-quality shots.

The difference now is their recent surge on the offensive glass, giving the Heat even more extra possessions, a big reason why they were able to take 14 more shots than the Pacers did.

For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket