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Facing adversity, Indiana responds with Game 4 win
Pacers get balanced effort to top Heat and tie their Eastern Conference finals series at 2-2,
I NDIANAPOLIS In the biggest playoff game for this incarnation of the Indiana Pacers, Frank Vogel wanted to see how his team handled the situation.
“To me, every game in the playoffs is a must-win. That’s how we approach it,” Vogel said before Game 4. “I challenged our guys to see how they respond to our first real adversity of this year’s postseason, and I’m looking forward to how they respond.”
The Pacers coach got his answer. Indiana defeated the Miami Heat 9992 and evened the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals at 2-2. Now the series has been condensed to a best-of-three — Game 5 is in Miami on Thursday, Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday and a potential Game 7 in Miami on Monday.
Indiana center Roy Hibbert, a problem for Miami’s interior all series, delivered down the stretch with a layup and three-point play, giving the Pacers a 94-89 lead with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter. He finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Hibbert said. “We’re going back to Miami and fight again.”
The Pacers also relied on the strong guard play of George Hill and Lance Stephenson and overcame another tough offensive outing from forward Paul George. Hill had 19 points and six assists, and Stephenson had 20 points and five rebounds.
After Miami took an 89-86 lead on Ray Allen’s three-pointer, the Pacers outscored the Heat 13-3 in the final 3:10.
Heat forward LeBron James had 24 points but fouled out with 56 seconds left in the game. It was the first time James has fouled out since last season’s Eastern Conference finals. It was the fifth time he has fouled out in his career.
Indiana outplayed Miami in the second half after losing momentum late in the second quarter and early in the third quarter. Miami took a 6054 lead with 7:36 left in the third quarter. But Miami’s play suffered when Mario Chalmers, who was in the middle of his best game of the playoffs, picked up his fourth foul.
The Pacers outscored the Heat 2310 and took a 77-70 lead on Stephenson’s three-pointer at the end of the third quarter. But beating Miami is no easy chore, and after falling behind by nine points, James tied the score at 83 on a three-pointer with 6:12 remaining.
Indiana couldn’t have asked for a better start — an 11-0 lead, an energized crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and an early Miami timeout to start.
Miami scored its first points on two James free throws with 8:48 left in the first quarter, and Wade collected his second foul with 8:09 left in the first quarter.
It was exactly what Indiana wanted and needed. But sustaining that kind of energy and execution is not easy.
The Pacers were ready for Vogel’s challenge in the first half. Indiana led 26-22 after the first quarter and extended its lead to 43-34 with 3:25 left in the second quarter.
The Heat continued to get James the ball in the low post, but the Pacers had a better defensive strategy early. Indiana played more physical and showed flashes of help so James didn’t have clear paths to the basket. James settled for jump shots and was 3-for-10 in the first half.