National Basketball Association

LeBron proves he is clutch on this day

Published May. 22, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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LeBron James has proven he is clutch -- at least on this specific day he is.

With 2.2 seconds left and the Heat trailing by one, the King stunned the Pacers by hitting a driving layup at the buzzer to give the Heat a thrilling 103-102 overtime win in Game 1 of the East finals on Wednesday.

Here's the highlight you will be seeing on a loop until Game 2 on Friday.

But we all should have known that LBJ was due for something special on this day. Four years ago to the day LeBron enjoyed his signature clutch moment in the playoffs while with the Cavs. Take a trip down memory lane.

Now that we've established that LBJ is not to be messed with on May 22, let's get back to his heroics on Wednesday night. LeBron finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to record his ninth career playoff triple-double.

All of this of course set Twitter ablaze.

Even the famous tweeters were out in full force.

While everyone else had their say, the man of the moment reflected on the play.

But some curious decisions by Pacers coach Frank Vogel might have contributed to LeBron's coup de grace. During two critical possessions, including the final play of the game, Vogel opted to sit his 7-2 center Roy Hibbert. Both of those possessions ended in layups by LeBron James.

Could Vogel have already forgotten Hibbert's iconic block of Carmelo Anthony's dunk attempt in the Eastern Conference semifinals?

Let's remind him just in case.

But it sounds like Vogel might have learned from this situation.

''I would say we would probably have him in next time,'' Vogel said of playing Hibbert.

Now that Vogel had his say, let's take a look at what Twitter thought of this coaching move.

Hibbert didn't hide his emotions after the game.

But it wasn't all bad for the Pacers. They did push the Heat to overtime on a clutch shot by their All-Star -- Paul George. With the Pacers trailing by three late in the fourth quarter, George, who came in wearing this ensemble, heaved a 3-pointer from way beyond the arc to tie the score with 0.7 seconds left in regulation.

As unforgettable as that play was for the Pacers, this moment might stay with Indiana forward David West for a while. And he can thank Heat backup point guard Norris Cole for the memory.

But in the end, it was LeBron's night, even if his haters refuse to believe so.

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