Miami ‘Big Three’ deliver as series switches back to Indiana for Game 5.
The Miami Heat moved to within a win of the NBA Finals after their Game 4 rout over the Indiana Pacers at the AA Arena on Monday night.
LeBron James had 32 points and 10 rebounds while Chris Bosh added 25 points, the latter putting up almost his entire scoring total from the first three games combined to ensure the Heat gained a stronghold on the series with a 3-1 lead.
Dwyane Wade added 15 points as the hosts never trailed during the game, and they now have three chances to close out the series starting on Wednesday night in Indiana.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel conceded that his team got outplayed by their rivals, while Lance Stephenson was willing to take the criticism for seemingly antagonising James prior to the game with his comments over his trash talk being a “sign of weakness”.
James led the Heat to a third straight win in this series, and now the pressure is all on the Pacers to produce as they must now win three in a row themselves to keep their year-long plan of toppling the Heat alive and avoid a third consecutive playoff exit at the hands of their rivals.
Meanwhile, with his 32-point, 10-rebound and 5-assist performance on Monday night, James passed Michael Jordan for the most career playoff games with at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists as he moved to 74 games.
Nevertheless, James will undoubtedly be looking at the bigger picture after helping his team to a vital win, and they will now hope to finish the job at the first time of asking in Indiana.
NBA Results:
Indiana Pacers 90-102 Miami Heat
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