As Miami Heat superstar Dwayne Wade lashed out in frustration during the worst playoff game of his career on Thursday night, it wasn't just the fans in Indianapolis who were cheering.

Believe it or not, most basketball fans except for those in South Beach, still hate the Heat, thanks to the unforgettable antics by the team's Big Three, two summers ago.

And as Wade got into a heated exchange with coach Erik Spoelstra on the sidelines, one couldn't help but wonder if this is the crack in the Heat's foundation that they've been hoping for.

With the Chicago Bulls out in the first round, the Heat were seen as the favourites in the Eastern Conference to make another run to the NBA Finals, but that was until they lost Chris Bosh to an abdominal injury in game 1.

And with the team relying on Wade and season MVP LeBron James to pick up the slack against the Pacers, you would think that they'd still be able to get the job done. But after dropping game 2 in Miami on Tuesday, and then a weak five point effort from Wade in game 3, thanks to the Pacers' solid defensive effort, the question is whether or not the Heat can bounce back with game 4 set to go on Sunday.

And even James showed his frustration at one point, asking his bench for a little help on the floor after Indiana outscored Miami 51-32 in the second half.

Critics have always said that this team is built for the post-season and that it would only take one of the the three egos to get injured for most teams to have a shot of beating them. That, or a strong team effort like the one Dallas displayed during the Finals last season, something that the Pacers seem to have gotten a grasp on.

So as the Heat look to avoid returning home down 3-1, the one thing that is certain is that this series isn't the walk in the park for Miami as some first thought. And deep down inside, you know you're getting a kick out of seeing them fail.