Miami Heat close in on Eastern Conference finals spot
The Miami Heat secured a 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday with a comprehensive 102-90 win over the Indiana Pacers.
By awelch — 27 May 2014, 06:04 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
The Heat are seeking a fourth successive appearance in the NBA Finals and a third consecutive title and they could complete a series win over the Eastern Conference top seed Pacers in Game 5 in Indiana on Wednesday.
The Miami Heat secured a 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday with a comprehensive 102-90 win over the Indiana Pacers.
LeBron James led the way for Miami with a game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds, while Chris Bosh added 25 points and six rebounds.
Paul George top scored for the Pacers with 23 points, while David West managed 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel refused to criticise his players after the defeat but admitted they were second best at the American Airlines Arena.
“We got outplayed by the Heat,” he told reporters. “I wasn’t disappointed in our fight. I was disappointed in the result.
“They’re the best offensive team in the NBA.”
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Dwyane Wade added 15 points and Miami never trailed, leading by 23 at one point.
''We try to get better every single day, every single game,'' James said. ''When you do that and go out and play the type of game that you are capable of playing, you can be satisfied with the results. And that's what we've built over the years.''
That's a matchup the Pacers have gone to before when Miami has slotted LeBron James at the 4—the thinking being that putting West on LeBron James is inviting a quick death. But Allen and his sweet release killed Indiana in Game 3 just the same.
And when you think about it, of course he did. West can't stay with a guy who runs around 14 screens in his sleep and fades to the corners at just the right moment as easily as breathing. The terrifying thing: The Pacers might not have any better options.
Is C.J. Watson going to save the day? Probably not.
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WHAT'S NEXT
Game 5 will be 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
"We don't want to come back with a Game 6," said James, whose Heat are 13-3 in closeout games since the 2011 postseason. "We love our fans, obviously. We love being in Miami, but we want to try to close it out. But we're going to have to work for it. It's not going to be easy, not against this team. It's the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, and they're there for a reason. So we look forward to the challenge."
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