MIAMI (AP) – The Miami Heat feel as if they’ve faced elimination all season – and averted it every time.

They expect to do it again Tuesday night.

The Heat trail 3-2 in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. Game 6 is Tuesday in Miami, where the Heat have won 18 consecutive games.

Dwyane Wade and Malik Allen guaranteed that the series would return to Indiana for a deciding game.

Why such a promise?

“This is where we’ve been all year, with a lot of people doubting us,” Wade said. “We believe we can win.”

Especially at home, where the Heat are more efficient on offense, more stifling on defense and play with more energy and intensity. The result has been one of the best home-court advantages in the league. The Heat haven’t lost at AmericanAirlines Arena since March 2.

“Everyone wants to go down and win there,” Pacers forward Al Harrington said. “I think it would be a nice place to end it, stop their streak down there. That’s the type of team we are: we like to ruin stuff for people, so that’s what we like to gun for.”

While the Heat must win to extend the series, the Pacers could lose and return home for Game 7. But that’s not a scenario they want to think about.

After all, the pressure then would shift from the young and inexperienced Heat to the team with the NBA’s best record in the regular season.

“You don’t want to put that pressure on your back,” said All-Star forward Jermaine O’Neal, who has scored 88 points in the last three games. “Those guys have nothing to lose. Everybody kind of counted those guys out from the start. If we don’t go out and match the energy and play the way we’re supposed to play, we’re vulnerable to lose. But I don’t see that being a problem.”

The Heat have been counted out before.

They lost their first seven games, prompting many to question Pat Riley’s decision to hand his coaching duties over to Stan Van Gundy.

Under the first-year coach, Miami improved to 25-36 in March but still was figured a long shot to make the postseason.

Then Wade got healthy, Lamar Odom proved he could be a complete player and the Heat staged a late surge to earn the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The team that lost 57 games a year ago went 17-4 down the stretch to return to the postseason for the first time in three years.

“This team has played from behind all year,” Van Gundy said. “We played from behind in the standings to get into the playoffs. We’ve played from behind in the standings to get the home court. We’ve played from behind even here in the postseason.

“I don’t think there will be any panic on our part. We’ve been here and we know what we’re up against. We’re not trying to win two games. It’s about winning one game on our home floor or against a very good team and then you go from there.”

The Heat faced elimination in the opening round against New Orleans after the Hornets forced a Game 7 in Miami.

The Heat won handily, but dug themselves a quick hole with two lopsided losses in Indiana to start the second round. They rebounded with two wins at home to even the series but lost again on the road to setup another must-win situation.

“This group has nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Odom said. “It’s a great position to be in. Even though we’re down, we’re at home and we have our fans behind us. We’ve been in this position all year. It’s been like this to make the playoffs, to move up and get home court, to beat New Orleans and now to stay alive.

“It’s just one test after another. Hopefully, we can pass this test, too.”