The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers have been playing a tough series and after Game 4 on Tuesday night things are all tied up at 2-2 as the Pacers won at home 99-92 to even things up after going down 2-1.
Last season the Pacers had a 2-1 lead on Miami before losing the next four games and now that is what LeBron James and his crew will try to avoid in Game 5. The team was close for most of the end, but the Pacers were able to pull away after James fouled out of the game. A call on James late in the first half put him in that position to get fouled out and he ended the game with 24 points, while Dwyane Wade led with six assists and Ray Allen had seven rebounds. The Pacers got 23 points out of Roy Hibbert, while Georgi Hill added six assists and two players were tied with 12 rebounds each.
The Pacers were in control for most of the game and the two teams each scored 22 points in the fourth, but the leads in the first and third were enough of a difference for the Pacers. Hibbert has proven to be one of the best young players in the game and he continued his excellent play in the playoffs, helping Indiana to out rebound the Heat 17-8 over the final 12 minutes and he also was able to put the Pacers up five with a basket and foul. He added three offensive rebounds in the fourth and kept the Heat from scoring in side.
The team got solid play off the bench and Lance Stephenson was key while scoring 20 points and he kept Miami on its toes by moving in transition. Wade had a chance to get things closer at the end, but an ill-timed travel gave Indiana the ball and the game. The Heat went cold down the stretch and made one shot in the last five minutes and that was their undoing and they couldn't find ways to score inside, where the Pacers dominated.
James fouling out was a big issue and was a stark difference from when he had just one foul in the other game and now the Heat must rebound in Game 5 to take advantage or they will go down 3-2. The Pacers came back from their first home playoff loss in Game 3 and now the team is 7-1 at home during the postseason, making the Game 5 matchup a must win for Miami.
