The Indiana Pacers held a slim lead at halftime, but the Miami Heat charged back in an epic third quarter to win Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Miami pushes Indiana to brink of elimination with 90-79 Game 5 win
For a half, the Miami Heat struggled to score points against the Indiana Pacers. The road team held Miami to only 40 points in the first half on their way to a four-point lead at the break. But things changed dramatically in the third quarter.
Fueled by a 21-5 run, the Heat outscored their competition, 30-13, in the third quarter to take control of the game and they never looked back.
It’s no surprise that Lebron James led the Heat with 16 points in that decisive third period. He finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block on the night. But James had some help from starting forward, Udonis Haslem. Haslem scored ten of his 16 points in that third quarter as well and was a big reason the Heat were able to pull away.
After Roy Hibbert scored on a dunk to kick off the quarter and give the Pacers a six-point advantage, the team went cold. Indiana shot only 2-13 and added five turnovers the rest of the period. To add insult to injury, David West showed his frustration, drawing a technical foul after an offensive foul by teammate George Hill.
The Pacers were fortunate to get more out of star Paul George in this one – the forward had 27 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. He also had five turnovers, but that was the least of Indiana’s worries. After a strong Game 4, the Pacers again got next to nothing from their starting backcourt.
After scoring 39 points in the last contest, guards Lance Stephenson and George Hill struggled mightily. In 65 minutes of action, the duo was only 2-11 from the field, combining for five points, three rebounds, and six assists. The pair also contributed to the turnover problem with six in the game and Stephenson fouled out of the game.
That simply won’t cut it and the game has to feel like a missed opportunity for Indiana. Had they even gotten an average performance from their backcourt, perhaps the Pacers would be heading home for Game 6 with a 3-2 advantage rather than a deficit. Stephenson and Hill have played significant roles this postseason and are a bit reason the team has had so much success. But they picked an awful time to go into hiding as the Pacers are only one game away from having their season ended.
And as if things weren’t bad enough for Indiana, they also lost forward Tyler Hansbrough, who left in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. If Hansbrough can’t play in Game 6, the Pacers’ already-thin bench becomes even thinner.
Miami, meanwhile, found a way to win despite some off nights by other players. Dwyane Wade had only ten points and center Chris Bosh finished with a subpar seven points and five rebounds. But if you add the big game by Haslem with Indiana’s disastrous third quarter, you get another Heat victory. Miami is now one game away from returning to the NBA Finals to defend their title.
Indiana will look to stay alive as the series moves to Indianapolis for Game 6 on Saturday night. Game 7, if necessary, will be on Monday in Miami.
