THE FACTS: For the fifth time in franchise history, the Indiana Pacers are one victory away from the NBA Finals as they defated the Miami Heat 91-77 in Game 6 of the Eastern Finals on Saturday to force a seventh contest in the series on Monday.
Overcoming 21 turnovers with stout defense and prolific production from Paul George (28 points) and Roy Hibbert (24), the Pacers pulled away down the stretch. That sets up Game 7 in Miami, with the Heat seeking their third consecutive berth in the NBA Finals and the Pacers their second ever -- and first since 2000.
The Pacers limited Miami to 36-percent shooting and dominated things inside, winning the rebounding battle 53-33 and outscoring the Heat 44-22 in the paint. LeBron James scored 29 with seven rebounds and six assists but the other two members of Miami's vaunted 'Big Three' came up small. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 15 points on 4-for-16 shooting.
QUOTABLE: "We have great respect for their culture; their togetherness; their teamwork; their ability to win the plays at the rim; their ability to win loose ball battles; their ability to just reach that level of greatness. We didn't play our best basketball tonight and we were able to get a win. We're going to have to play our best basketball to get a win down there in Game 7."
-- Indiana coach Frank Vogel
THE STAT: This will be the first Game 7 for Indiana since beating Boston in the first round in 2005, and the sixth in franchise history. It will be the Pacers' fourth Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they lost to Chicago in 1998, Orlando in 1995 and New York in 1994. The year Indiana reached the NBA Finals, it beat New York in six games in the conference finals to get there.
TURNING POINT: After Miami dominated the third period 30-13 in Game 5, the Pacers imposed their will in Game 6. They outscored Miami 29-15 -- including a 12-0 burst early in the quarter -- to take a 68-55 lead into the fourth quarter. Hibbert and George each had nine points in the quarter. The Heat came back with a 17-4 run of its own sparked by consecutive 3-pointers by Mike Miller and eight points from James, cutting the lead to 72-68 with 5:53 left. But George hit a 3-pointer, David West had a putback dunk and then Miami unraveled completely. Called for an offensive foul, James sprinted downcourt with a look of disbelief on his face, earning a technical foul. Assistant coach Dave Fizdale also picked up a technical. George Hill made both free throws and Hibbert scored on the ensuing possession, pushing Indiana's lead to 81-68 with 3:55 remaining.
HOT: George shot 11-for-19, 3-for-5 from the 3-point line and added eight rebounds and five assists. ... Hibbert shot 11-for-20 and added 11 rebounds for his fourth game of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds of the series. ... Hill scored 16 with six assists. ... Miller made his only two shots, both 3-pointers, for the Heat.
NOT: Wade shot 3-for-11, Bosh 1-for-8 and Ray Allen 1-for-5 for the Heat. West missed his first seven shots and finished 5-for-14 for Indiana.
QUOTABLE II: "I wasn't 100 percent, but I had to play. We've come too far for me not to play. I'm not feeling good right now although this win helps. I'm sure I will be better tomorrow and I'll be ready for Monday."
-- Indiana's David West
NOTABLE: Indiana's George, Hibbert and West have outscored Miami's James, Wade and Bosh 368-332 in the series. ... Miami was without forward Chris "Birdman" Andersen, suspended by the NBA for knocking down and then shoving Indiana forward Tyler Hansbrough during Game 5 Thursday. ... Andersen has three flagrant foul points in the postseason, so any additional violations will warrant automatic suspension for the next game. ... Joel Anthony replaced him in the rotation and produced two points and eight rebounds in just under 29 minutes. ... West played with an upper respiratory infection that caused him to be sent home from the team's Saturday morning shootaround and produced 11 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. ... Miami was 31-0 during the regular season when making at least 10 3-pointers, but lost when reaching that mark for the first time in the playoffs. ... Points in the paint have been the indicator in this series. In Indiana's three wins, the Pacers hold a 134-94 advantage. In Miami's three wins, the Heat are up 146-116. ... Allen has shot 16-for-62 (.258) overall, 8-for-33 (.242) from the 3-point line in nine games against the Pacers this season. ... Shane Battier, who has struggled with his shot (2-for-15 from the 3-point line in the series), played just 4:26 off the bench for Miami.
UP NEXT: Game 7 Monday in Miami at 8 p.m. ET.
