NBA playoff wins for Heat and Spurs

21 May 2012, 8:05 pm   -   Source: AAP

Miami Heat have levelled the NBA Eastern Conference series with Indiana at 2-2 with a 101-93 victory.

LeBron James scored 40 points to help Miami Heat to a 101-93 win over Indiana on Sunday to level their best of seven NBA Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series at 2-2.

James also contributed 18 rebounds and nine assists while teammate Dwyane Wade landed 22 of his 30 points in the second half to carry the visitors to victory.

"I felt like I needed to do whatever it was to win," James said. "We wanted to get the split and redeem ourselves, so we played good ball."

Miami avoided going down 3-1 - where only eight teams have ever rallied to win a playoff series - and returns to American Airlines Arena for swing game five Tuesday night after retaking the home-court advantage in the best-of-seven match-up.

"It's still going to be a dogfight," James said Sunday. "It's a three-game series now, and we head back to South Beach and continue to play at the level we did today."

Wade rebounded from a nightmarish five-point, 2-of-13 shooting effort in Friday's 94-75 shellacking, connecting on 13-of-23 from the field to go along with nine rebounds and six assists.

Danny Granger scored 20, and Darren Collison put in 16 to pace the underdog Pacers, who could have put a stranglehold on the series but were victimised by James and Wade.

"Our inability to keep LeBron James and Dwyane Wade under control in the second half was the difference," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

Miami's dynamic duo put on a dazzling display, pouring in 38 consecutive points spanning the second and third periods.

They tallied all but two of the Heat's 30 third-quarter points, scoring 14 apiece, turning an eight-point halftime deficit into a 76-70 lead.

Granger's three-pointer pulled the Pacers within 96-91 with one minute, 32 seconds left, but Udonis Haslem (14 points) hit a short jumper, and James made three free throws in the final 16 seconds to wrap up the win.

In the Western Conference, San Antonio beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-99 to complete a four game sweep of the series.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points, Tony Parker added 17 with six teammates in double figures while the Spurs' Australian back-up point guard Patty Mills did not play.

San Antonio have won 18 consecutive games dating back to the regular season, including sweeps over Utah and the Clippers.

The top-seeded Spurs will face the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder and LA Lakers series in the Western finals. The Thunder hold a 3-1 advantage in that series with potential close-out game on Monday night.

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