3s are keys as Heat rally from 15 down
MIAMI — The stakes were Thunder hope higher, the scenario the same. Ibaka can play The Miami Heat had been here in Game 3, C4 before.
For the second time this season, theHeat overcame a15-point deficit to defeat the IndianaPacers, Saturday night’s 99-87 victory at AmericanAirlines Arena giving them a 2-1 lead in these best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
Fueled by 3-pointers from DwyaneWade and then Ray Allen, the Heat put together another dominant fourth quarter, a hallmark of this playoff run that now has them two victories froma fourth consecutiveNBA Finals.
Having rallied from a similar deficit in a Dec. 18
home victory over the Pacers, the Heat took control behind 26 points from LeBron James, 23 fromWade and a volley of late 3-pointers from Allen on a night Heat center Chris Bosh struggled with foul trouble and an errant shot.
The Pacers countered with their typical balance, with forward Paul George returning from Tuesday’s Game 2 concussion to scored 17 and guard Lance Stephenson turning in an aggressive performance with 10 points and 11 rebounds, hounded into submission late by James.
Wade’s 3- pointers to end the third period and start the fourth pushed the Heat to their first doubledigit lead of the series at 74-64.
Later, after George began to regain his stride, Allen converted his second 3-pointer to give the Heat an 87-79 lead with 5:58 to play, and later improved to 4 of 4 from beyond the arc.
The teams entered having alternated wins and losses in their previous 13 meetings since the start of the 2013 Eastern Conference finals, with the Heat finally putting together a winning streak against the Pacers.
ThewinnerofGame3 in a best-of-7 series tied1-1has gone on to win the series 76 percent of the time.
The Heat improved to 6-0 at home this postseason, now on a nine-game playoff home winning streak dating to last season’s NBA Finals. The loss snapped the Pacers’ fivegame playoff road winning streak.
The winner of this series plays the winner of the Western Conference finals that the San Antonio Spurs lead 2-0 going into today’s road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After Wade’s consecutive 3-pointers, the intensity amped from there, with the Pacers closing within 76-74 with 8:37 left after Bosh was called for a technical foul and George made three free throws.
James returned during that stoppage after being treated for apparent cramps between periods, with Allen converting a 3-pointer on the Heat’s next possession, only to have it matched by one from C.J. Watson.
But that’s when Allen came back with another, and another, pushing the Heat to a 90-79 lead.
TheHeat took their first lead of the night, at 52-51, on a James dunk with 7:36 to play in the third quarter, off a missed Stephenson layup. It was the Heat’s seventh consecutive successful conversion from the field, later stretching that run to eight consecutive conversions.
TheHeat thenwent into the fourth quarterup71-64, their largest lead to that stage.
After hitting his first shot of the second half, Bosh was forced to the bench with his fourth foul with nine minutes left in the third period, with Rashard Lewis, and not Chris Andersen, entering in his place, to allow Erik Spoelstra to keep his rotation intact.
Twenty-four seconds later, Pacers point guard George Hill was called for his fourth foul, on a charge. Then with 5:16 left in the third, Georgewas forced to the bench with his fourth foul, with Heat power forward Udonis Haslem also there with four fouls.
After falling behindby15 in the second period, the Heat closed within 42-38 at halftime, ending the quarter on a 16-5 rally that fed off a series of Pacers turnovers. The Pacers, in fact, managed only four shots over the final six minutes of the second period.
Theteams combined for 31basketsand24turnovers in the first half.
After early turnover issues saddled the Heat, the Pacers went into the intermission with 13 turnovers to 11 for theHeat.
Foul trouble was an issue for both teams early.