More than a few had already starting writing eulogies for the Miami Heat, at least thinking about it after the team lost Chris Bosh and then two games in a row to the Indiana Pacers. On Sunday they evened things up, and on Tuesday night they won a rough and tumble game to grab a commanding 3-2 series lead over Indiana.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade once again led the Heat in scoring, 30 points for James and 28 for Wade, but the team got contributions up and down the roster.
Peninsula Is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog, explains why that helped Miami win the game:
Shane Battier's 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc was crucial to get his shooting touch back and helped set the tone for a hot start in the first quarter, but it was his lockdown defense on the bigger David West that was an even bigger factor for the Heat. Udonis Haslem's own shooting touch thankfully didn't leave him after Game 4 with a 5-6 shooting performance tonight for another double-digit scoring total to go along with 6 rebounds. Mario Chalmers somehow led the team in 11 rebounds (his career high) and Ronny Turiaf continued to lead the team in over the top celebrations. In summary, a good time was had by all. The Heat set a postseason franchise record for field goal percentage and finished a single point short of tying the team record for total points.
The Pacers will try and force a seventh game on Thursday, having been called "soft" by team president and NBA legend Larry Bird. Another night like this from the Heat, and Game 6 might be enough.
For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For the opponent's perspective throughout the series, check out Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana. And for all your news and notes on the playoffs matchups, visit SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.