INDIANAPOLIS — Jermaine O'Neal had 22 points and 12 rebounds against his former team, and the Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 96-83 on Friday night.
The Pacers traded O'Neal before the 2008-09 season as they focused on rebuilding with younger players. He was animated throughout the game, drawing a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a dunk and later smiling when Pacers fans booed him.
Dwyane Wade scored 32 points for the Heat, who have won their first two games by a combined 35 points.
Danny Granger led the Pacers with 22 points, but shot 6 of 20 from the field. Troy Murphy, Solomon Jones and Luther Head each scored 12 points.
The Pacers, who have opened the season with two double-digit losses, shot 37 percent and made just 4 of 23 3-pointers.
O'Neal looked like the player who finished third in the league MVP balloting in 2004, and nothing like the one who hobbled through his final years with the Pacers. Friday's effort followed a 22-point, 12-rebound performance in the season-opening rout of New York. He posted his first consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound efforts since he was a Pacer in December 2007.
Miami led 49-47 at halftime, then O'Neal scored eight points and Michael Beasley added six in a 16-4 run to start the second half that put the Heat up 65-51. Miami led 79-63 at the end of the third quarter.
Head made back-to-back buckets that cut Miami's lead to 79-69 with 10 minutes to play. The Pacers had numerous chances to cut further into the lead because Miami went cold in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers got no closer than eight points.
Notes: Indiana C Roy Hibbert committed two fouls against O'Neal in the first 2:11 of the game. He finished with five fouls in 16 minutes. ... The Pacers shot 24 percent in first quarter. ... Indiana C Jeff Foster sprained his right ankle in the first quarter and did not return. ... Indiana G Mike Dunleavy (knee) and F Tyler Hansbrough (right shin) sat out.
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