NBA: Miami Heat eke out split at Indiana, tie East Finals series against Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS - LeBron James turned up his game at the perfect time Tuesday night (Wednesday, PHL time) for the Miami Heat.

Faced with the possibility of the first two-game playoff deficit during his time in Miami, James scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Heat to a 87-83 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Miami's win tied the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece. Game three will be played Saturday night (Sunday, PHL time) in Miami. The Pacers were winless in two games at AmericanAirlines Arena during the regular season.

James, who was held to 10 points through three quarters while being defended closely by Indiana forward Paul George, scored six points and had an assist in a key 10-0 Miami run in the fourth quarter.

When Miami began that run, it trailed the Pacers by three points after a basket by Indiana center Roy Hibbert. When the 10-point streak ended with a basket by Miami guard Dwyane Wade, the Heat led 82-75 with less than three minutes left.



Wade led the Heat with 23 points. Forward/center Chris Andersen came off the bench to grab a team-high 12 rebounds, and reserve guard Norris Cole scored 11 points.

Indiana guard Lance Stephenson scored a game-high 25 points. George added 14 points. Hibbert had 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, and guard George Hill scored 13.

The Pacers received a scare when George went down after a collision in the fourth quarter and stayed on the floor for about two minutes. After being helped to the bench during a timeout, George returned to the game.

James, who scored 25 points in the opening game of the series Sunday (Monday, PHL time), was held to six points in the first half. He went more than eight minutes into the game before scoring his first basket. James also uncharacteristically missed two consecutive free throws in the second quarter.

Hibbert was a dominant presence inside. He had nine rebounds in the first half, more than twice the total of any other player. At one point in the opening quarter, he tapped back offensive rebounds to teammates on two consecutive misses. Miami forward Udonis Haslem, who started to help slow down Indiana forward David West, wound up matching up with Hibbert.

Stephenson scored 10 points in the third quarter, including a three-pointer with 2:57 that gave Indiana a six-point lead. - Reuters


The scores:

HEAT 87 - Wade 23, James 22, Cole 11, Bosh 9, Haslem 7, Chalmers 6, Andersen 3, Battier 3, Allen 3

PACERS 83 - Stephenson 25, George 14, Hill 13, Hibbert 12, West 10, Butler 6, Scola 2, Mahinmi 1, Watson 0

Miami      20-21-21-25
Indiana    21-16-26-20