Heat Embarrass Pacers 102-90; Take 3-1 Series Lead

May 26, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers guard

(1) reacts against the Miami Heat in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Miami, FL – The Indiana Pacers didn’t have a shortage of smack talk for the Miami Heat over the past two days, but they didn’t have enough skill on the court to defeat the defending championship. Miami took Game 4 by a final score of 102-90, and took a 3-1 choke hold on the series. Indiana came out with no energy and a terrible game plan, and the Heat took full advantage.

Paul George had another decent game for the Pacers, scoring 23 points on 8-16 shooting, but hit just 3-9 from behind the three-point arc. David West recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but that wasn’t enough to help lead the Pacers past Miami. George Hill and Luis Scola were the only other two double digit scorers for Indiana with 15 and 12 points respectively, while Lance Stephenson failed to back up his talk with just nine points.

LeBron James put up a big double-double for the Heat, scoring 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and also dished out five assists. Chris Bosh had a great game of good shooting at 7-12, scoring 25 total points. He has been the most inconsistent player in this series, but was able to provide some relief for James and Dwyane Wade. Wade scored just 15 points on 4-12 shooting, but the Pacers did not make the Heat pay for his off game.

Unfortunately for Pacers fans, the team didn’t show any confidence that they could beat the Heat tonight. It was clear right off the bat that the Pacers were not going to be much competition, and the Heat were able to walk off the floor laughing at the smack talking Pacers. Hopefully the Pacers are able to get things going again in Game 5 and at least force a Game 6 in Miami, but that doesn’t appear too terribly likely with the way they have been playing the last few games.

Overall, this was one of the most disappointing performances that this Pacers team has put together recently. They have been extremely consistent when playing from behind, winning seven out of their last eight including tonight’s loss. That being said, the series is now 3-1 in Miami’s favor, and the Pacers are just one loss in three games away from their offseason vacations.