The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers have played a tough series in the Eastern Conference finals and after Miami took a 3-2 lead into Game 6, the team played another physical contest on the road in Indiana and ended up winning the game after taking a big lead and now LeBron James and the Heat must come back and win in Game 7 to advance to the finals for the third straight year.
The Miami Heat had the chance to close out the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night in the Eastern conference finals, and they did it without one of their biggest inside players, as Chris Anderson sat out Game 6 after he got into an altercation with Tyler Hansbrough in the Game 5 victory.
According to ESPN.com, the NBA decided to suspend Andersen for the incident in Game 5 when he bumped into Hansbrough and also shoved him while on the court before being restrained. The Heat can win without Andersen and in fact the stats say that they play better without him on the floor, but that doesn't mean it won't be a challenge, as Andersen is a banger and is tough and can go head to head with Roy Hibbert and David West in the paint. According to ESPN.com, the Heat score more points per game when Andersen is off the court and has a better rebounding and field goal percentage. The team needs Andersen for toughness inside, but in Game 6 they will have to do it without him.
James once again will be the focal point of the offense for the Heat and if he plays like he did in Game 6 on Thursday night, the Pacers will find it difficult to win. James and the Heat were down 44-40 heading into halftime and that was when James took over, coming out in the third like gangbusters, scoring or assisting on 25 of 30 points in the quarter as the Heat outscored the Pacers 30-13 in the quarter. James ended up finishing the game tops in scoring, assists and rebounds with 30 points eight rebounds and six assists, while Paul George tried his best James impression by scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the game.
James and coach Erik Spoelstra said that Juwan Howard gave an intense speech in the locker room and that may have helped spark the amazing third quarter from James, who was part of nearly every play and helped take the lead for good. James was the focal point of the offense yet again and with Dwyane Wade hobbled and Chris Bosh marginalized, the Big Three has now just become the Big One and if James can play like that again the Heat will be back in the finals.
The Miami Heat are ready to advance to play the San Antonio Spurs and the team proved that it can win in Indiana after losing twice in the regular season by getting the Game 3 victory, but after the way the team played in Game 4, there is a chance that the Pacers can force a Game 7. Roy Hibbert has been fantastic for the Pacers and he is the main reason why the team still is alive after recording numerous double-doubled in the Eastern conference finals. James will be tasked to stop the Pacers attack in Game 6 and if Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade continue how they have been playing, the Heat will have a Big One again instead of a Big Three.