LeBron James produced a blistering 14-point third quarter as the Miami Heat took a commanding 3-1 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 102-90 win.
The Heat led 49-44 at the half, with Chris Bosh turning in his best performance of the post-season with 17 first-half points, but the home side ran away with the game in the third.
Miami burst with a 7-0 streak to grab a 12-point lead as James took charge with two spectacular three-pointers and a ferocious dunk among his 14 points in the third.
Photo: AFP
James, who finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, now has 74 career playoffs games in which he has had at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, surpassing Michael Jordan for the most playoff ties played in NBA history.
The win puts Miami one victory away from a fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals and a shot at a third straight title.
Miami have struggled with slow starts throughout the post-season, but they were determined from the outset on Monday, grabbing a swift 8-0 lead provided single-handedly by Bosh.
Photo: AFP
“Coach drew up a play for me and I pretty much made my mind up that I was going to shoot it,” Bosh said. “After that, it’s a funny thing, but when my teammates see me being aggressive like that and the shots do go in, they look for me a little bit more and I try to make their job a little easier.”
While Miami credited Bosh and James for a strong performance, Indiana’s Paul George felt the Heat benefitted from favorable refereeing. Miami were given 34 free throws, double Indiana’s total.
“I thought we outplayed them. It’s just demoralizing when a game is lopsided, I’m sorry to say, but that was the case again. How rare is it that we shoot 50 percent, turn the ball over 14 times, outrebound a team and lose?” George asked.
Photo: EPA
“They made 30 free throws and that put them over the edge. I feel like we are just as aggressive as they are attacking the basket and making plays at the rim. Maybe this was just home cooking,” he said.
Yet James was having none of it, saying: “We did only have five turnovers and 20 points off their turnovers. That has nothing to do with the free-throw line.”
It was a particularly fired-up performance from James, but he rejected the idea that “trash talk” in Game 3 and further pre-game comments from Indiana’s Lance Stephenson had contributed to his aggressive mindset.
Photo: EPA
“I don’t need any motivation. I am motivated enough to try and get back to the Finals,” he said.
However, George believed his teammate’s comments that James had shown “weakness” in their on-court exchanges had backfired.
“Lance is young and that is a learning lesson for him. Sometimes you have got to watch what you say, you are on the big stage. Everything we say is going to be bulletin board material,” he said.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is set for today in Indiana.
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