Heat to start Haslem in Game 2 vs. Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Miami coach Erik Spoelstra is going big in Game 2 at Indiana — starting Udonis Haslem instead of Shane Battier.

The move comes less than 48 hours after the top-seeded Pacers took a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 107-96 win over the two-time defending NBA champs.

The Heat are hoping Haslem’s presence will mitigate the size advantage Indiana exploited with David West and Roy Hibbert in Sunday’s loss.

But Miami still will not have center Greg Oden, who was signed primarily to contend with Hibbert. Oden remains inactive.

Indiana also made a change Tuesday, activating backup swingman Evan Turner after he recovered from strep throat. Turner was inactive in Game 1. Indiana deactivated little-used rookie forward Solomon Hill.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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