BK hung tuff, but..........Let's go Pacers!

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 4

Miami Heat 102 Brooklyn Nets 96

This game was all about Lebron James, who had a monster night, tying his career playoff high in points with 49. Nevertheless, this was a tight game throughout. The Heat led the Nets after two quarters, but neither team was able to lead by anything more than single digits. Brooklyn would come back to take a brief lead at the end of the third quarter, but it would go back and forth throughout the fourth. The game was tied with less than a minute remaining when Chris Bosh hit a crucial 3-point shot that would ultimately put Miami up for good. Brooklyn would try to pull even down the stretch but missed their shots, and the Heat would put the game away with free throws. In addition to Lebron, Dwyane Wade would add 15 points while Chris Bosh scored 12 points including the game winning 3-pointer. Joe Johnson led Brooklyn with 18 points while Paul Pierce scored 16 points and Deron Williams and Shaun Livingston each added 13 points. However, Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche, who each had huge games in game 3, were held to a combined 12 points on six for 16 shooting from the floor. The Heat now look to close out the series back home in South Beach.

Miami leads series 3-1.

WTH????!!!!!! Are the Pacers for real?? As frustrated as I am with the Nets they don't frustrate me like the Pacers! I actually thought they would do something this year! All year long talking about getting home court advantage! What difference will it make? None! Even if they make it to the Eastern Conf Championship they're not going to beat the Heat. They ain't ready! I'm not sure they'll ever be ready! Something has to be done with the NBA. My brother had to point out to me a couple of years ago that only a few teams actually win the championship (I'm a fan of the NBA, but had not noticed). The Lakers, Celtics, Pistons and Rockets from back in the day. Now it's the Spurs and the Heat with a team or two (Mavericks) thrown in for good measure! Am I mistaken?? The rest of us don't have a real shot! I'm tired of it......... Full disclosure.....I didn't mind when the Yanks won 3 World Series Championships in a row and 4 in 5 years! How many days 'til the NFL pre-season???? The Giants may be back in the mix this year.......

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 4

San Antonio Spurs 92 Portland Trail Blazers 103

No team in NBA history has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff or Finals series, but as many teams in that situation would say, we'll take this one game at a time. In this case it worked out for the Blazers, as they were led by Damian Lillard, who scored 25 points in the game. They also went on a third quater run to stay ahead for good and held Spurs point guard Tony Parker to just 14 points. laMarcus aldridge scored 19 points for Portland while Will Barton scored 17 points off the bench. Meanwhile, Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw each scored 12 points for the Spurs.

San Antonio leads series 3-1.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 5

Washington Wizards 102 Indiana Pacers 79

The Indiana Pacers, after struggling mightily down the stretch during the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs, suudenly found their groove and put the Washington Wizards on their heels, leading the series 3-1 and having a golden opportunity to close out this series, especially in front of their home fans and with the best home record in the NBA all season.

Instead, they came out with a thud.

Washington came out in this came wth passion and urgency, and they dominated the game inside the paint. Marcin Gortat had a monster game, scoring 31 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. John Wall also had a monster game, scoring 27 points while Bradley Beal added 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. As for the hapless Pacers, only David West and Paul George scored in double digits, scoring 17 and 15 points respectively. The Pacers still lead the series and have a chance to close it out in the nation's capital, but the nagging questions about their heart and will are sure to be reawakened.

Indiana leads series 3-2.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 5

Los Angeles Clippers 104 Oklahoma City Thunder 105

In what has to be one of the wildest finishes in playoff history capped by an incredible comeback and a couple of controversial calls by the officials, the Oklahoma City Thunder came back from a 13 point deficit late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers. OKC was carried by Russell Westbrook, who scored 38 points in the game including the game winning free throws with six seconds remaining in the contest. And his contrbutions were critical, as Kevin Durant struggled last night. He did score 27 points including a 3-pointer that sparked the Thunder comeback and also grabbed 10 rebounds, but he shot only six for 22 from the floor.

But it was the Clippers who dominated most of the game due to Blake Griffin's 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Chris Paul scored 24 points while dishing out 14 assists. Jamal Crawford scored 19 points off the bench, and Matt Barnes and J.J. Reddick each added 16 points apiece.

But in the final four minutes OKC made its comeback, cutting the Clippers lead from 13 points to seven with about 49 seconds left. Kevin Durant hit a critical 3-point shot to pull within four. Then after a Jamal Crawford miss, Durant drove to the basket for a lyup with 17 seconds left.

Now here's where the controversy begins.

Chris Paul tried to make an inbound pass, but Russell Westbrook stole the ball, and in a scramble the ball went to Thunder guard Reggie Jackson, who drove to the basket but was seemingly stopped by Matt Barnes, who appeared to force Jackson to fumble the ball off his hands and go out of bounds. However, upon further review the officials the ball awarded to OKC. Then, Westbrook made a desperation 3-point shot that missed the bucket, but Chris Paul ran up to defend the shot and was called for a foul. Westbrook then made all three of his free throws to put OKC up by one with six seconds remaining. Chris Paul made one last effort to win the game anbd drove to the basket but bounced the ball off his foot as time expired, thus solidifying an improbale victory for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City leads series 3-2.

728huey said:

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 5

Los Angeles Clippers 104 Oklahoma City Thunder 105

In what has to be one of the wildest finishes in playoff history capped by an incredible comeback and a couple of controversial calls by the officials, the Oklahoma City Thunder came back from a 13 point deficit late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers. OKC was carried by Russell Westbrook, who scored 38 points in the game including the game winning free throws with six seconds remaining in the contest. And his contrbutions were critical, as Kevin Durant struggled last night. He did score 27 points including a 3-pointer that sparked the Thunder comeback and also grabbed 10 rebounds, but he shot only six for 22 from the floor.

But it was the Clippers who dominated most of the game due to Blake Griffin's 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Chris Paul scored 24 points while dishing out 14 assists. Jamal Crawford scored 19 points off the bench, and Matt Barnes and J.J. Reddick each added 16 points apiece.

But in the final four minutes OKC made its comeback, cutting the Clippers lead from 13 points to seven with about 49 seconds left. Kevin Durant hit a critical 3-point shot to pull within four. Then after a Jamal Crawford miss, Durant drove to the basket for a lyup with 17 seconds left.

Now here's where the controversy begins.

Chris Paul tried to make an inbound pass, but Russell Westbrook stole the ball, and in a scramble the ball went to Thunder guard Reggie Jackson, who drove to the basket but was seemingly stopped by Matt Barnes, who appeared to force Jackson to fumble the ball off his hands and go out of bounds. However, upon further review the officials the ball awarded to OKC. Then, Westbrook made a desperation 3-point shot that missed the bucket, but Chris Paul ran up to defend the shot and was called for a foul. Westbrook then made all three of his free throws to put OKC up by one with six seconds remaining. Chris Paul made one last effort to win the game anbd drove to the basket but bounced the ball off his foot as time expired, thus solidifying an improbale victory for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City leads series 3-2.

The ending of that game was crazy, what was Chris Paul thinking jumping into Westbrook's space as he attempted that three?

And those refs must be blind not to see that Jackson wasn't fouled and the ball went off him last

[Edited 5/14/14 18:20pm]

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 5

Brooklyn Nets 94 Miami Heat 96

The Miami Heat were looking to close out this series in front of their home fans, but Brooklyn refused to roll over. Being down 3-1 and facing elimination, the Nets came out with fire and purpose, jumping out to an 11-4 lead to start the game, and with the exception of a brief two point lead by Miami in the second quarter, they led virtually the entire game until the closing seconds. Joe Johnson had a huge game for Brooklyn, scoring 34 points, whiel Paul Pierce scored 19 points and Deron Williams scored 17 points. Lebron James kept the Heat around, scoring 15 of his 29 points from the free throw line. Meanwhile Dwyane Wade scored 28 points.

But in the end, it was the collapse of the Nets offense which would sink their chances of winning this game. The Nets only managed to score one field goal in the last four and half minutes. Meanwhile, Lebron James and Ray Allen launched the Miami comeback, and it was Allen who hit a critical 3-point shot to put the Heat into the lead with 32 seconds remaining in the game. After a couple of Ray Allen free throws, Joe Johnson hit a 3-pointer to draw the Nets back to within one point. After a foul on Lebron James led to one of two free throws made, Brooklyn had one final chance to tie or win the game. Joe Johnson got the inbound pass with six seconds left, but he never got a shot off, as Ray Allen knocked the ball away from him as time expired, thus securing the victory for Miami and sending them back to the Eastern Conference Finals. Brooklyn saw its season end, and now they face a potential shakeup during the offseason.

Miami wins series 4-1.

That last play by the Nets was ridiculous - iso against a terrific defender like Lebron???? They had time to move the ball around and get a better shot.

Steve Kerr to the Warriors - smart move. Knicks have a shitty roster, no cap relief, no draft pick, and a horrible owner who's created a toxic corporate culture at the Garden. Kerr had people in his ear (probably Marv) warning him about the Knicks and the way they operate.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 5

Portland Trail Blazers 82 San Antonio Spurs 104

The San Antonio Spurs were looking to close out this series at home after having failed to sweep the series in Portland. The Blazres were just trying to stay alive, and they played even with Spurs in the first quarter. Then in the second quarter, Tony Parker was forced to leave the game after experiencing some tightness in his hamstring. This could have been disastrous for the Spurs; instead, it was an opportunity for other role players to step up. And they did just that. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard picked up the slick for the ailing Tony Parker, each scoring 22 points, while Patty Mills scored 18 and Tim Duncan added 16 points. More importantly, they stole the ball from the Blazers 13 times and forced a total of 18 turnovers, and Portland never had a chance afterward, as the Spurs easily cruised to victory and a spot in the Western Conference Finals. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Damian Lillard scored 17 points and dished out 10 assists, but it simply wasn't enough. Portland now goes home to regroup for next season while the Spurs await the winner of the Clippers-Thunder series.

San Antonio wins series 4-1.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 6

Indiana Pacers 93 Washington Wizards 80

After their admittedly disappointing performance in game 5, the Indiana Pacers were determined to come out strong and close out this series. And for about the first two and a half quarters they were doing just that, dominating the Wizards in the paint and putting the clamps on the backcourt of Bradley Beal and John Wall, liting the tandem to just 12 for 35 shooting from the floor and shutting down their 3-point shooting, as the Wizards only made two 3-pointers out of 18 attempts in the game. They were led by David West, who scored 29 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. Lance Stephenson would add 17 points.

But the Wizards did not give up. They would make one huge and what turned out to be their final push in the third quarter, and Bradley Beal would hit a huge 3-point shot to give Washington its first and only lead at 74-73 with 8:30 remaining in the game. But then Indiana turned up the heat on both ends of the floor, outrebounding and outhustling the Wizards and going on a 20-6 run to go on to victory and close out the series. Marcin Gortat led the Wizards with 19 points while Bradley Beal added 16 points and Nene added 15 points, but Nene was torched by David West all night. While the Wizards' magical season came to an abrupt end, the Pacers now go on to a rematch with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Indiana wins series 4-2.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 6

Oklahoma City Thunder 104 Los Angeles Clippers 98

The Clippers came out of the gate strong, making life difficult for Kevin Durant and leading by as much as 16 points early on. But then Durant exploded, scoring 39 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and bringing OKC back and eventually ahead by the fourth quarter. Russell Westbrook also overcame a slo start to score 19 points and dish out 12 assists. Reggie Jackson added 14 points off the bench. Chris Paul scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists while Black Griffin scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out eight assists, but the rest of the team struggled, especially down the stretch. In the end, the Clippers were unable to stop the rolling Thunder attack, and OKC now moves on to face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, the Clippers season comes to an end, and with the rumblings of owner Donald Sterling possibly fighting his ban from the franchise in court, the offseason looks to be even more tumultous.

Oklahoma City wins series 4-2.

Eastern Conference Finals

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

Sun. May 18, 2014: MIA @ IND, 3:30 pm EST
Tue. May 20, 2014: MIA @ IND, 8:30 pm EST
Sat. May 24, 2014: IND @ MIA, 8:30 pm EST
Mon. May 26, 2014: IND @ MIA, 8:30 pm EST
Wed. May 28, 2014: MIA @ IND, 8:30 pm EST (if necessary)
Fri. May 30, 2014: IND @ MIA, 8:30 pm EST (if nesessary)

Sun. June 1, 2014: MIA @ IND, 8:30 pm EST (if necessary)

All games airing on except game 1, which airs on .


Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs

Mon. May 19, 2014: OKC @ SA, 9:00 pm EST
Wed. May 21, 2014: OKC @ SA, 9:00 pm EST
Sun. May 25, 2014: SA @ OKC, 8:30 pm EST
Tue. May 27, 2014: SA @ OKC, 9:00 pm EST
Thur. May 29, 2014: OKC @ SA, 9:00 pm EST (if necessary)

Sat. May 31, 2014: SA @ OKC, 8:30 pm EST (if necessary)
Mon. June 2, 2014: OKC @ SA, 9:00 pm EST (if necessary)

All games airing on .

YAASSSSS!!!! (in my best Jay-Z impersonation!). YAAASSSSSS!!!!!!! 1 down and 3 more to go! Do it Pacers! Just Do The Damn Thing!!!

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 1

Miami Heat 96 Indiana Pacers 107

This was the moment the Indiana Pacers had prepared themselves for since losing game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year. However, it was a tumultous journey to get here, and they almost didn't make it past the first round. Nevertheless, they have made it back for the rematch, and their goals was to get home court advantage and force Miami to have to win on the road in order to get back to the NBA Finals.

It didn't take long for Indiana to make its statement. They played arguably their best game of the entire season, shooting at a torrid pace from the floor while also limiting the Heat to just four offensive rebounds and six for 23 shooting from beyond the arc. Lebron James went one for five from behind the 3-point line and shot just two free throws, and Miami fell so far behind so fast, it never even had a chance to tie the score. Paul George led the Pacers with 24 points and seven assists, but their starting lineup played well, with Roy Hibbert scoring 19 points nad grabbing nine rebounds, Lance Stephenson scoring 17 points and dishing out eight assists, David West adding 19 points, George Hill adding 15 points, and C.J. Watson adding 14 points off the bench. Lebron James, who had 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Dwyane Wade who had 27 points on 12 for 18 shooting, desperately tried to rally the Heat but got little help. Chris Andersen scored 14 points off the bench for the Heat bit giot intoi foul trouble, and Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers were essetially shut doen by Indiana's defense.

Indiana leads series 1-0.

Western Conference Finals

Game 1

Oklahoma City Thunder 105 San Antonio Spurs 122

Coming into these conference finals, OKC had defeated the Spurs 4-0 during the regular season. But they were entering these finals without the services of Serge Ibaka, who suffered a calf injury during game 6 of the past series against the Los Angeles Clippers and will be out for the remainder of the postseason.

San Antonio took obvious advantage of Ibaka's absence, as they fed Tim Duncan early and often. Duncan would score 27 points in this game, and the tandem of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard also took advantage of the absence of Serge Ibaka, as they drove to the basket often in this game. Paker would finish with 14 points and 12 assists, and Ginobili would finish with 18 points. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green each added 16 points. The Spurs would lead by as much as 15 points in the first half, but Kevn Durant and Russell Westbrook would get the Thunder all the way back in the thrid quarter. Durant finished with 26 points and Westbrook finsihed with 25 points, but aside from a few buckets from Derek Fisher, who scored 16 points off the bench and Reggie Jackson, who added 13 points off the bench, they got very little production from their supporting cast. As a result, both Durant and Westbrook ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, as San Antonio went on a run and cruised to an easy victory.

San Antonio leads series 1-0.

Cavs get the top pick AGAIN?

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 2

Miami Heat 87 Indiana Pacers 83

The Miami Heat knew if they had any chance of winning this series, they had to win one game on the road, and they didn;t want to go down 0-2 in this series. Miami played much better defense in this game, holding Indiana to 37 points in the first half. The Pacers would go on a run in the third quarter and lead by seven, but then Lebron James and Dwyane Wade took over, going on a 12-2 run in the fourth quater and scoring the final 20 points for the Heat to give them a decisive victory to even the series. Lebron scored 22 points in the game, 12 of them in the fourth quarter while Wade scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth. Norris Cole scored 11 points off the bench for Miami while Chris Andersen grabbed 11 rebounds. Lance Stephenson scored a playoff career high 25 points for the pacers but only scored two points in the decisive fourth quarter. Paul George scored 14 points but eventually suffered a concussion and is day to day. George Hill added 13 points and Roy Hibbert added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, but their bench was ineffective, as Luis Scola and C.J. Watson combined for just two points in the game.

Series tied at 1-1.

Western Conference Finals

Game 2

Oklahoma City Thunder 77 San Antonio Spurs 112

OKC knew they were at a decided disadvantage without the services of Serge Ibaka, whose absence led the Spurs to a fairly easy victory in game 1. The Thunder was determined to play better in game 2, and for the first quarter they hung tough. But then Danny Green caught on fire, hitting seven 3-point shots and blasting the Spurs away from the Thunder in the second quarter, and they never looked back. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 22 points while Tim Duncan scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw added 11 points each off the bench. Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook struggled in this game. Each scored just 15 points apiece, but Durant shot six for 16 from the floor while Westbrook shot just seven for 24 from the floor. They didn't get much help from their supporting cast, as no one else even scored in double digits save for Jeremy Lamb in garbage time.

San Antonio leads series 2-0.

It sucks OKC wasn't able to keep that trio (Durant, Westbrook, Harden) together. Durant and Westbrook are young, but their window of opportunity won't last forever. They have to find a reliable 3rd scorer. Watching them play the Spurs, it's 2 against 5.

uPtoWnNY said:

It sucks OKC wasn't able to keep that trio (Durant, Westbrook, Harden) together. Durant and Westbrook are young, but their window of opportunity won't last forever. They have to find a reliable 3rd scorer. Watching them play the Spurs, it's 2 against 5.

Do you think Ibaka will come back during the series against the Spurs?

SeventeenDayze said:

uPtoWnNY said:

It sucks OKC wasn't able to keep that trio (Durant, Westbrook, Harden) together. Durant and Westbrook are young, but their window of opportunity won't last forever. They have to find a reliable 3rd scorer. Watching them play the Spurs, it's 2 against 5.

Do you think Ibaka will come back during the series against the Spurs?

I keep hearing he might go tonight for Game 3. But he won't be100%.

uPtoWnNY said:

SeventeenDayze said:

Do you think Ibaka will come back during the series against the Spurs?

I keep hearing he might go tonight for Game 3. But he won't be100%.

Yeah, it would be nice to get Ibaka back. Otherwise, there may be a sweep here. I'm pulling for OKC and the Pacers. It would be nice to get some other teams in the mix that haven't won before. This Miami and/or Spurs winning every year is getting old.

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 3

Indiana Pacers 87 Miami Heat 99

The Miami Heat looked to take advantage of their road win to put some distance between thermselves and the Indiana Pacers. However, they came out of the gate flat and disoriented. Part of that may neave been because of the Pacers' toorid shooting and defense, but much of it was just sloppiness, as the team (including Lebron James) made a lot of errant shots and turned the ball over repeatedly without any apparent pressure by the Indiana defense. This would give the Pacers a 15 point lead in the second quarter before Miami would find its stroke. The Heat would eventually get themselves back into the game in the second half with a run of their own and some timely defense, but it was Ray Allen who would provide the spark they needed to pull ahead and cruise to victory. Allen scored 16 points for Miami including four 3-point shots. Lebron James led all scorers with 26 points while Dwyane Wade scored 23 points. Paul George led the Pacers with 17 points while Roy Hibbert scored 16 points, but Lance Stephenson was limited to just 10 points.

Miami leads series 2-1.

uPtoWnNY said:

SeventeenDayze said:

Do you think Ibaka will come back during the series against the Spurs?

I keep hearing he might go tonight for Game 3. But he won't be100%.

Thunder wins! Ibaka looked great out there. I hope he just takes it easy between games and isn't overworked in the games that he plays in. Great game tonight.

Western Conference Finals

Game 3

San Antonio Spurs 97 Oklahoma City Thunder 106

OKC knew they desperately needed a win if they had any chance of keeping their championship hopes alive. They also knew they were getting killed inside without the presence of Serge Ibaka, who was originally ruled to be out for the remainder of the playoffs with a calf injury. But Ibaka, who hasn't totally healed from his injury, got the all-clear from team physicans to rejoin the team, and he vowed to play through his injury to help save his team.

It didn't take long for his presence to be felt. Serge Ibaka scored 15 points while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking four shots. More importantly, he and the Thunder defense held Tony Parker to just nine points and Kawhi Leonard to just 10 points. His presence also helped balance the efforts of his teammates, as Reggie Jackson scored 15 points. Russell Westbrook led OKC with 26 points and eight rebounds while Kevin Durant scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 23 points while Tim Duncan added 16 points, but OKC would lead by as much as 20 in the fourth quarter before cruising to victory.

San Antonio leads series 2-1.

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 4

Indiana Pacers 90 Miami Heat 102

The Miami Heat stormed out to a fast start in this contest, scoring the first eight points of this game and led the entire game. Chris Bosh had a breakout game, scoring 25 points and grabbing six rebounds, and providing much of the spark for the Heat early on. The Pacers tried to get back into the game in the second quarter, but Lebron James would take over. He scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists. Dwyane Wade added 15 points. The Heat would lead by as much as 23 points in the foruth quarter, but the Pacers would make another run yet got no closer than 11 points down. Paul George led the Pacers with 23 points while David West scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. However, Lance Stepehenson had another subpar game, scoring only nine points while getting into foul trouble.

Miami leads series 3-1.

Western Conference Finals

Game 4

San Antonio Spurs 92 Oklahoma City Thunder 105

San Antonio has played well against nearly all of the NBA this season, but their one weakness has been against Oklahoma City, particularly on the road at OKC. They struggled in game 3 but wanted to change their fortunes tonight, and they got off to a hot start, scoring the first eight points of the game and leading 12-4 midway through the first quarter.

Then the duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant took over.

Russell Westbrook had an absoultely monster game, scoring 40 points, dishing out 10 assists, grabbing five rebounds, and making five steals. Kevin Durant scored 31 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assissts. No one else on OKC scored in double digits, but Serge Ibaka once again had a solid game, scoring nine points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking three shots. The Thunder led by as much as 27 points before the Spurs made a run which cut the lead down to 12 late, but it was too little too late for San Antonio. Tony Parker and Boris Diaw each led the Spurs with 14 points but Tim Duncan was held to nine points and Manu Ginobili was held to just five points in this game.

Series tied at 2-2.

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 5

Miami Heat 90 Indiana Pacers 93

The Indiana Pacers came into this game with their backs against the wall facing elimination with a loss tonight, especially if they could not stop Lebron James. One of the subtexts of this series has been the trash talking of Lebron James by Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, who has been trying to get into his head but instead had a couple of subpar games in a row. At any rate, it was the Heat that got into the Pacers' head lately, and if they didn't snap out of it their season would be over.

The Pacers got off to a solid start early, but then they had a near disastrous second quarter, scoring only 11 points and turning the ball over numerous times. However, they did manage to affect Lebron James, as he got into serious foul trouble early and was held to a playoff low seven points in this game. Nevertheless, the Heat was carried by Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, and little-used reserve Rashard Lewis, who scored 18 points in the game on six 3-point shots.

Then Paul George and Lance Stephenson came to the rescue. George in particular had a superhuman game, scoring 37 points, grabbing six rebounds, and making six steals. Lance Stephenson scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assists, but more importantly played stifiling defense on Lebron James. David West would add 19 points and nine rebounds.

The Pacers would lead by 11 points midway through the fourth quarter, but the Heat wold storm back and tie the game on a Lebron James 3-pointer with just under four minutes remaining in the game. It would remain tight through the end, but Paul George and David West would keep the Pacers ahead. But Miami would have one last shot to tie or win the game. With 12 seconds remaining, they inbounded the ball and passed to Chris Bosh who was open for a 3-point shot but missed, and the ball was rebounded by Roy Hibbert who passed it off to David West, who was fouled with a second remaining. He hit one of two free throws to seal the victory for Indiana. Chris Bosh led Miami with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and Ray Allen added 15 points, but it was the Pacers who will live to see another game.

Miami leads series 3-2.

Lebron made the smart basketball move passing to an open teammate, but the play should have been for Allen or Lewis.

I guarantee Lebron doesn't get 5 fouls tomorrow night.