NBA playoffs: James last-second shot lifts Heat over Pacers in overtime thriller

Miami: Miami’s LeBron James made a buzzer-beating layup in overtime as the Heat narrowly escaped a shock loss on their home court and beat the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in Wednesday’s opening game of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. James finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat — his ninth postseason triple-double. All that mattered was the last shot, which simply saved the Heat after a thrilling contest in which there were 18 ties and 17 lead changes, the last two of those coming in the final 2.2 seconds. [caption id=“attachment_810065” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  LeBron James scores the game-winning basket. AP[/caption] “Two teams fought hard,” James said. “We were able to make one more play.” Paul George made three free throws with 2.2 seconds left in the extra period to give the Pacers the lead, having earlier forced overtime with a miracle 3-pointer. George pumped his fist gently after the third free throw, then extended his index finger skyward as the teams retreated to their benches to get ready for the final play. He just left James too much time, and the Pacers left their best shot-blocking option on the bench. Roy Hibbert wasn’t on the floor for the final play, and without a 7-foot-2 barrier to contest him, James slipped down a lane and made the winner look easy. “Two great teams just throwing punch for punch,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “Our spirit is very high, very confident. We know we can play with this basketball team.” Vogel said he left Hibbert off the floor for the final play out of concern of what defending champion Miami would do with Chris Bosh in that scenario. Afterward, he acknowledged he might have different thinking next time. “I would say we would probably have him in next time,” Vogel said. Game 2 is Friday night in Miami. Officials reviewed James’ play at the end, though it was clear he beat the clock, and the Pacers walked slowly toward their locker room, lamenting one that got away — by no fault of George’s. “Gut-wrenching,” Hibbert said. George was fouled by Dwyane Wade on the play where the Pacers had to think they had stolen the series opener. Referee Jason Phillips said Wade hit George, and the Pacers’ star made all three free throws for the 16th lead change of the night. The final lead change came moments later. “Welcome to the Eastern Conference finals,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Back and forth the whole way.” Wade scored 19 points, Bosh had 17 and Chris Andersen had 16 on 7-for-7 shooting for Miami. George scored 27 for the Pacers, who got 26 from David West and 19 from Hibbert. The Pacers have won only two series in NBA franchise history after dropping a Game 1. “It just felt like everything was in our favor,” George said. The final few seconds of regulation were stunning, with Ray Allen — the sixth-best free-throw shooter in NBA history — missing one that proved big, and George making a miracle happen. Trailing by two with 17.7 seconds left, the Pacers had to foul Allen, who surely would have been their last choice. But he missed one of the two free throws, and it remained a one-possession game. Indiana brought the ball into the frontcourt, called time, and then seemed to have nothing really working as the final seconds of regulation ticked away. So George simply made something happen. From 32 feet — from the newly applied Eastern Conference finals sticker on the side of the court — George connected with 0.7 seconds left, tying the game and giving Indiana life. Allen didn’t get much of a desperation shot off at the end of regulation, and to overtime the teams went. “It took an overtime to get it done,” Spoelstra said. “Glad to get that one.” AP