NBA: Hibbert hits 29 as Pacers snag game two from Miami Heat

Roy Hibbert may not have been on the floor in the dying minutes of game one, but he made up for it with 29 big points, to lead the Indiana Pacers to a game two victory against the Miami Heat, 97-93, on Friday (Saturday, PHL time) at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

Miami had won game one, also on their home court, 103-102 in overtime.

It was a team effort for Indiana, who had all of their starting players in double-figures, scoring-wise. Paul George added 22 points and six assists, George Hill chimed in with 18 points, five boards and three assists, Lance Stephenson contributed 10 points, eight boards and five assists, while David West had 13 points and seven boards, plus two crucial steals on LeBron James in the final minute.

With 57.9 remaining, Hill took it strong to the hole, forcing Mario Chalmers to give up the foul. The point guard made both for a 95-93 advantage, forcing Miami to call for time. David West then completed a crucial steal on James to give Indiana a fresh possession, but the Pacers fell victim to Miami's defense, failing to get a shot up for a 24-second shotclock violation.

At the 17.6 seconds mark, the Heat called for time to set up a final play, but the result was another James turnover, and the reigning MVP was forced to foul Hill to stop the clock.

With 8.3 seconds to go, Hill hit two more freebies, putting the Pacers ahead by four, 97-93. Wade passed off an open three to Bosh at the other wing, but the big man's try went long as the buzzer sounded.

James led the Heat with 36 points and eight boards. Chris Bosh had 17 while Dwayne Wade chipped in 14. The other two starters, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem, combined for just seven markers, as no other Miami player scored in double-figures.

Indiana shot 50 percent from the field, hitting 33-of-66 attempts. Miami was close behind at 46 percent, going 34-of-73. The Pacers also out-rebounded the Heat 39-32, and edged the home team in assists, 18-14.

Seven points from LeBron James gave Miami a slim 9-8 lead in the opening minutes of the first period. Indiana however responded with a 16-3 run, punctuated by a Roy Hibbert hook at the 4:18 mark to give the Pacers a 24-12 lead.

James went for four straight to stop the bleeding for Miami, before a Hibbert tip kept Indiana ahead by ten. A Norris Cole trey and a Chris Bosh drive canceled out a Lance Stephenson dunk, as James ended the period with a split to bring the lead down to six, 28-22.

Indiana continued to sustain their lead early in the second, with a pair of free throws from David West making it 37-30 with 7:43 to go. Miami hit back with a pair of free throws from Chris Andersen and a three from Bosh to cut the lead to two, before Bosh tied it up with a long jumper at the 5:48 mark for a 37-all count.

Paul George took two back from the line off a Dwayne Wade foul, before dishing out to Ian Mahinmi for a jumper and a four-point advantage, 41-37. A pair of charities from Hibbert followed by a trey from George Hill made it a nine-point game for the visiting team, as James and Chalmers exchanged free throws with West and Hibbert.

Miami though finished the half strong, with Chalmers scoring on a lay-up and Mike Miller hitting a three to cut the deficit to six, 53-47.

Miami's big three started the third with a 9-5 run to cut the lead to two, after a James reverse slam, 58-56. A Wade dish to James tied the game at 60-all, but a Hill three follow by a dunk by George gave Indiana some space anew, 65-60. The Heat went on to have another scoring stretch, posting nine to Indiana's four, capped by a Wade jumper to tie the game at 69-all.

Indiana was persistent in staying ahead, as George and Stephenson strung four together. With only 26.4 seconds remaining in the third, Ray Allen scored on a finger roll, but George was there to take it back with an and one play, 5.1 seconds remaining. The last basket came from James though, as he hit a long three to keep Miami close heading into the fourth, 76-74.

With less than eight minutes to go, James completed a block on a Hibbert dunk attempt, leading to a Chalmers drive to give the Heat the lead, 85-84.  Miami's tight perimeter defense then forced George to take a long jumper, as James collared the defensive board. The Heat then leaned on Bosh for another three, giving Miami its biggest lead of the night with 6:09 remaining, 88-84.

A Stephenson three made it a one-point game anew, before Hibbert took charge, taking the ball inside for two points and the lead. Back-to-back forced shots from Stephenson led to a James and one, but Hibbert was there again to tie the game at 91-all. David West put Indiana ahead with a jumper in the lane, but Bosh took it strong in the ensuing play to get two from the line, leading up to the final sequence.

Game three is set for Sunday (Monday, PHL time), with the series shifting to Indiana. - RAF / AMD, GMA News