The Miami Heat used a dominant 4th quarter to pull away and defeat the struggling Indiana Pacers 142 – 116. This is the first time the Heat have won 2 games in a row since their 6 game win streak ended on November 29th. This win puts their record at 17-15 and moves them into 7th in the Eastern Conference.
Nikola Jovic – Grade: A
Dec 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center James Wiseman (11) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nikola Jovic has been in a slump basically the whole season, with very few productive games. Miami Heat fans have been desperately waiting for Jovic to look like the player he did last season, and they can finally stop waiting. Jovic had his best game since early November and looked excellent. Jovic seemed confident in all his abilities and his confidence only grew as the shots began to fall. He chipped in on every aspect of the game as well. He was active in rebounding and willing to hustle to secure the ball. He did an excellent job at finding open teammates. I thought his defense was even solid in this game. Jovic made a huge impact on the game and was game high +35 in just 25 minutes. Jovic finished the game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. The Heat will hope this game gets him right for the rest of the season.
NIKOLA JOVIC STEP BACK 3 ?!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/wh9k5uxCrE
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 28, 2025Jaime Jaquez Jr. – Grade: A+
Dec 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) reacts against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Jaime Jaquez Jr. delivered a masterful game once again and was the Heat’s best player this game. The Pacers had no answer for him as he was able to dominate their defense and manipulate them however he wanted. He controlled the flow on offense and was able to easily get to his spots on the floor. He was extremely efficient shooting 11/15 from the field and he made another 3 pointer making it his 6th straight game with a 3 made. He was rewarded in his relentless attack with 5 free throw attempts and made them all. Jaquez Jr. looked like a future star in this game and was the catalyst for a lot of the Heat’s success. He finished the game with a team high of 28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
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, 2025Andrew Wiggins – Grade: A+
Dec 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Andrew Wiggins has now strung together two very good games for the Heat. He looked more like the player he was at the start of the season. He was lethal from three against the Pacers, making all 4 of his attempts behind the arc. He did not force many shots and was able to generate easy points as a result. He good shot quality allowed him to shoot an efficient 12/16 from the field overall. Wiggins stuffed the stat sheet in all aspects of the game as he was also active on defense and produced 3 steals and 1 block to help lock down the Pacers. Wiggins finished the game tied with Jaime Jaquez Jr. with 28 points to lead the team. He also chipped in 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
Spo on Andrew Wiggins’ 28-point night:
“He has those gifts to make the difficult look easy. The contests, the blocks, multiple efforts defensively in zone… he was very assertive and we’re a better basketball team when he has that mindset.”pic.twitter.com/qY1uy64n9L
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) December 28, 2025