MIAMI — There’s something about Game 5s when Indiana visits Miami.
Thursday night’s 90-79 win by the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena featured five technicals and a flagrant foul 1. The Heat took a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals thanks to forward LeBron James scoring 16 of his game-high 30 points during a decisive third quarter.
In Game 5 of an East semifinal in Miami last year there were three flagrant 1 fouls. Two of them resulted in suspensions for the Heat, Udonis Haslem for a game and Dexter Pittman for three games.
The guy who got the flagrant foul Thursday will have his fate determined by the NBA office. It’s not out of the question that Miami center Chris Andersen could be suspended for Saturday’s Game 6 at Indiana due to giving a pair of hard shoves to Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough in the second quarter.
Haslem added 16 points for the Heat, 10 during a third quarter in which the Heat turned a four-point deficit into a 13-point lead. The Pacers got 27 points from forward Paul George and 22 from center Roy Hibbert, the two having combined for Indiana’s first 29 points of the game.
The turning point: The Heat looked sluggish during a first half in which they trailed by as many as seven points. Then came the third quarter.
After trailing 44-40 at intermission, Miami outscored the Pacers 30-13 in the quarter. The key was James, who scored 16 points in the quarter and Haslem, who had 10.
When the dust settled the Heat led 70-57. The Pacers never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
The difference-maker: James wasn’t too happy after learning earlier in the day he had been fined $5,000 by the NBA for flopping in Game 4 (Indiana players David West and Lance Stephenson got similar fines). He then took it out on the Pacers.
En route to his 30 points, James shot 13 of 26. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.
James was at his best in the third quarter when Miami broke open the game. He had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in the 12 minutes.
What it means: Unless the Pacers can win Saturday at home and in a possible Game 7 Monday at Miami, the Heat will be heading to the NBA Finals for the third straight year.
Obviously, the Heat want to wrap things up Saturday. If they don’t and win Monday, their foe in the Finals, San Antonio, would have one week additional rest for the Finals that start next Thursday.
What's next: Game 6 of the series is at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson.
