Bosh's absence leaves gap

The swift answer from Game Two of their best-of-seven second round play-off series with the Indiana Pacers was clear as Miami lost 78-75 and the Heat's third-leading scorer, after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, had just five points.

Bosh averaged 18 points and shared the team lead with 7.9 rebounds per game during the regular season and the Heat went 4-5 in the nine games he missed.

In the play-offs, Bosh averaged 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds from six games and Miami simply failed to replace his production on Tuesday as the Pacers tied the series 1-1 with the next two games being played in Indianapolis.

"Chris is missed," Wade said after Tuesday's game. "No doubt about it. Our team is set up for him to be in there. It's his presence, his scoring ability. Anytime he's on the court, you have to be aware of where he is."

There is no individual replacement for Bosh so Miami have had to hope that there is a collective solution, with lesser known players all giving that little bit extra.

That did not happen on Tuesday.

Wade and James, who combined for 52 of Miami's 75 points in Tuesday's game, scored 21 of the Heat's 23 points in the fourth quarter and took all but six of the 23 shots in the last period.

The other members of the team were 9-of-34 from the field for 23 points with the disappointments particular acute from those who were expected to step up with some three-pointers.

The Heat missed all but one of their 16 attempts from beyond the three-point line, including one from Mario Chalmers that would have tied the game with three seconds to play.

Mike Miller is struggling for fitness and was held scoreless in 17 minutes on court, while Joel Anthony and Shane Battier's defensive assets do not transfer to the other end of the court.

Three pointers would be one way of bridging the gap but Indiana are well set up to limit such chances and it is clear that head coach Frank Vogel has done his homework on Miami.

James missed two free throws in the final two minutes and Wade failed on a layup but it is hard not to wonder if those two opportunities may have been taken if the pair had not had to shoulder so much of the scoring responsibility previously.

James had to play every second of the second half without the break he normally takes so as to be at full-effectiveness in the final stages and he was on court for over 42 minutes.

"Forty minutes in the play-offs is different than 40 minutes in the regular season," James told the Miami Herald. "Intensity is raised. The grind is much more intense. Hopefully, I can get a few minutes here and there."

For Wade, he and James just need to keep on finding their team mates and hope that they can make their baskets when the series resumes on Thursday.

"We have to just find a way. I thought we got some good looks but we just missed them," said Wade.

Point guard Mario Chalmers, who got into foul trouble early on Tuesday, is the most likely source of scoring for Miami and Wade has called for him to get his act together.

After two fouls inside the opening five minutes Chalmers was restricted to 22 minutes on court and he managed just 2 from 10 from the field.

"We need (Mario) on the court," Wade said. "We need him in a sense to learn from his mistakes and learn now. He understands it affects our team when he's only playing 22 minutes. We'd like Rio to play at least 30 minutes a game."