INDIANAPOLIS _ The previous two times the Miami Heat went on the road they were humiliated by the Washington Wizards and humbled by the Orlando Magic.
Coach Erik Spoelstra made clear how he felt about that going into Wednesday night's game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
"We're mediocre on the road," he said, "that's the deal."
To make sure his point wasn't missed, he added, "I think we stink on the road."
Stench removal followed, as well as some feistiness, with the Heat pushing past the Pacers 122-108 at the start of a three-game trip that continues Friday against the Brooklyn Nets and concludes Sunday against the New York Knicks.
With 3-pointers falling early and Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo playing as leading men, the Heat improved to 10-9 on the road.
Butler closed with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Adebayo with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, both able to take the fourth quarter off, in a game the Heat got Justise Winslow back after a 14-game absence with a lower-back bone bruise.
With Victor Oladipo still three weeks away from his projected season debut as he rehabs his quadriceps injury, and with Malcolm Brogdon sidelined for the second time in as many meetings against the Heat this season, the Pacers got 27 points, 14 rebounds and six assists from center Domantas Sabonis, and precious little else.
The Heat led 31-26 at the end of the first period and 62-49 at halftime, before pushing their lead into the 20s in the third period and taking a 100-72 edge into the fourth, nursing from there what grew into a 31-point lead.
Butler took umbrage with a grab from Pacers forward T.J. Warren with 6:29 left in the third period and the Heat up 80-56.
That had the two trading shoves and words, needing to be separated by teammates, with officials reviewing the altercation on video.
The ruling was a common foul on Warren and technical fouls on Warren and Butler, who could be seen calling Warren "trash."
Butler then placed a shoulder into Warren on the Heat's next possession and was called for an immediate offensive foul with 6:22 left in the third. Angered by the intent, Warren then offered a taunting clap and a middle finger, was assessed his second technical, and was ejected _ as Butler blew him kisses.
The Pacers followed by converting consecutive 3-pointers to draw within 80-62, leading to a Spoelstra timeout with 5:34 left in the quarter.
Butler was booed on each touch the rest of the way, rekindling some of the antipathy of the Miami-Indiana heyday during the Heat's Big Three era.
