The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers are locked into an intense series in the Eastern Conference Finals and with Game 5 coming on Thursday night and the series tied at 2-2, both teams will be looking for any advantage they can get to win.
The Pacers play much better at home than on the road while going 7-1 in the playoffs, but they have proven already that they can win in Miami, which they did in Game 2 and nearly did in Game 1 before LeBron James made his basket as the buzzer went off. The game took a turn for the Heat at the end when James fouled out of the game and Miami then lost control and couldn't catch up. One reason he was fouled out was due to a late foul he got in the first half and also because of what former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said the final one was a bad call.
Van Gundy was talking about the situation on the Dan Patrick show on Thursday and he said that one reason James was fouled out was because the referees made a bad call, as the screen that was set by James was never used by Dwyane Wade and that a similar call earlier in the game was not a foul. Van Gundy felt that the call should have been more in line in what was being called earlier and the fact that Lance Stephenson hit the screen shouldn't have gotten James knocked out.
The two teams have been going hard at each other all series, as Roy Hibbert and David West accused Shane Battier of playing dirty, while both have been very physical. The Heat have the advantage by getting two of three games at home left in the series, but it will be a tough battle since the Pacers aren't afraid to play in Miami. The Heat know what it's like to play from behind after coming back from 2-1 last season against the Pacers and now Indiana is in the same position after winning Game 4 at home to improve to 7-1 in the playoffs at home.
