LeBron James and the Miami Heat needed overtime to escape the American Airlines Arena on Wednesday with a win, 103-102. James burned Indiana Pacers' Paul George to the basket with 2.2 seconds left for the game-winning layup as time expired.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was an exciting, back-and-forth slugfest between Miami and Indiana. No team ever had a clear advantage, and Miami turned the ball over 21 times to Indiana's 20.
The reigning league MVP James carried his team and recorded his ninth playoff triple-double with 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. George scored 27 points, including a wild 3-point shot to force overtime with less than a second left in regulation; he also hit three critical free throws to give the Pacers a 1-point lead in the waning seconds of OT.
"Two great teams just throwing punch for punch," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said during a news conference. "We know we can play this basketball team."
The Eastern Conference finals could become the most exciting series of the postseason. It's already shown signs of becoming a physical series as bodies continually hit the floor. Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough and Miami's Chris Andersen, both playing big off the bench, began jawing at each other early in what looks to be an intriguing matchup.
The Pacers 20 turnovers were costly. Yet the biggest question after the final whistle was why Coach Vogel sat All-Star defender Roy Hibbert on the bench for the final play.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley suggested during the postgame show that the rationale could be Hibbert has traditionally struggled to cover Miami forward Chris Bosh, who can shoot from the outside. But it wasn't a jumper the Pacers gave up — it was a nearly uncontested drive by James into the paint for an easy, game-winning layup.
"I would say we'll probably have him in next time," Vogel said of Hibbert after the game, according to USA Today.
Miami hosts Game 2 on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
