LeBron James is getting a firsthand look at just how hard it is for the Miami Heat to replace Chris Bosh.

Playing extended minutes at power forward with Bosh sidelined by an abdominal strain took its toll on the league MVP in Tuesday's 78-75 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"It's a lot more taxing being in there with bigger guys," James said, according to the Miami Herald.

He said that defense "is the biggest difference. When you're on the perimeter, there's more space. The interior is more cramped and physical."

The stats say that the Heat lost the interior battle as Indiana tied the second-round playoff series 1-1. The Pacers outrebounded the Heat 50-40 after Miami took that stat 45-38 in Game 1.

Points in the paint were even at 38 in Game 2, but many of Miami's interior points came from drives by James and Dwyane Wade. The Heat dominated that stat in Game 1, 52-40. Bosh had 13 points and five rebounds in only 16 minutes before going down.