Game 4 of the Heat-Pacers series was a gritty game from the opening quarter but the Pacers came out playing a bit more aggressively than the Heat.
The first half of game play started out very physical with key players from both teams in foul trouble. Lebron James took to the post in an attempt to exploit the smaller Paul George and Lance Stephenson. Paul George got in early foul trouble and was forced to play limited minutes up until late in the 4th quarter while Lance Stephenson surprisingly played great defense against Lebron in the low-post. Udonis Haslem and Chris Anderson failed to provide the Miami Heat adequate offense and both players experienced difficulties defending Roy Hibbert.
Miami fought hard but they simply could not find an answer for Roy Hibbert, he simply dominated the inside and overpowered every player coach Spoelstra threw at him. The 4th quarter came down to the wire, the Heat made an early run fueled by a controversial 24 second shot clock violation call against the Pacers. The Heat regained possession and Lebron James tied the game at 83-83 with less than six minutes left in the game.
httpv://youtu.be/AUpv5SOKgG8
You could compare the last three minutes of the game to a bar fight – neither team would give up an easy basket and players were diving to the floor after every loose ball. Lebron James kept the game close up until the closing minutes of the 4th quarter but he committed his 6th foul in the closing minute of the game which sealed the fate for the Indiana Pacers. The Miami Heat will look to regain the series with Game 5 back at home in Miami but if the Pacers can maintain their inside presence, they will continue to make this a difficult and long series.
Looking forward, I expect Lebron James to respond by increasing his offensive attack. The next game should be another great battle between the two teams but it appears that the Pacers have a slight edge.
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