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MIAMI (AP) — David West punched two passes from LeBron James away in the final minute, then punched the air.

The Indiana Pacers knew during Friday’s Game 2 that LeBron James would probably be the reason for any close defeat. What they probably didn’t guess is that LeBron James beating himself would end up being the reason for the change in tone and outlook of this Eastern Conference final.

For most of Game 2, there was absolutely nothing the Indiana Pacers could do about James. The team guarded him smartly, with tough and athletic All-Star Paul George ignoring foul trouble and an embarrassing end to Game 1 to stick with James throughout. Indiana’s league-best defense funneled him to uncomfortable spots on the wing and minded him expertly in transition. By the time the end of the fourth quarter hit, James (who finished with 36 points while hitting 70 percent of his shots) had dragged his Heat to what seemed like was going to be a 2-0 series lead.

Instead of the full drag, though, James played the goat. Two last minute passes were deflected by Pacer forward David West, giving Indiana the extra possessions it needed to pull out an inspired 97-93 win. The Pacers did not doubt themselves in the wake of what could have been a mood-altering overtime loss in Game 1, rallying behind coach Frank Vogel on the way to a tough win over a team that they now have downed in three out of five regular and postseason contests.

And although the headlines will center on some flashy dunks or James’ late game gaffes, the Pacers won because of the dominant play of big man Roy Hibbert. Yes, “dominant.”

Hibbert was his typical self in altering shot after shot, a presence that won’t show up in the box score, nor on any highlight shows. Better for Indiana, he was able to stay on the court for over 39 minutes, easing the Pacers’ collective mindset while George sat with early foul trouble, and West struggled after hitting his first shot of the game – going nearly the length of the game before hitting his second field goal. Roy’s defense on James was killer – four of LeBron’s five turnovers in the game came on drives with Hibbert in the paint, and when Dwyane Wade (14 points on 14 shots) attempted to go to the rim with Hibbert looming, Roy eased that All-Star into misses as well.

That’s just the defensive end. Hibbert finished with 26 points, a playoff career high, adapting adeptly to Miami’s fronting of the post and general quickness. With West struggling from the field and the Pacers often taking far too long to ease into their offensive sets, Hibbert was a bailout machine – making 10 of his 15 from the floor while never seeming to wear down the stretch in spite of his all out play on both sides, and heavy minutes.

Though some contributors faltered – Tyler Hansbrough did not replicate his good play on the glass and in the scoring column from Game 1, Lance Stephenson came through with some strange plays down the stretch, Sam Young is not a player for this level and D.J. Augustin offered next to nothing – this was the Pacers at their best. Miami was behind for most of the game, but they also tossed what should have been several killer knockout blows in Game 2, only to see the Pacers (usually George or Hibbert) respond with a much needed score on the other end, and a stop to quell any major run.

This is why this was always going to be a series. These two teams have just about played each other to a draw over 101 combined minutes thus far, The Pacers have taken three of five on the season, and these two first games were played in Miami. James’ late two turnovers were the turning point, we don’t mind pointing to the obvious, but they were also created because a smart defender in West was ready to help, and his final miscue was created because of Hibbert’s ability to cut off passing angles, snuff out a shot from Chris Bosh, while still helping on James.

LeBron tossed it all away, but Indiana earned this. Frank Vogel’s team put itself in a position to succeed.

Now they’ll have to earn both games in Indiana, working against a Heat team that is often at its best while playing from behind, with Vogel and crew wondering all over again just how in the heck they’ll be able to get up to 90 points again. The tied series is nice, but the turnaround is swift, and the Pacers could be a few clanged jumpers or turnovers of their own on the way to a 2-1 series deficit after Game 3 ends on Sunday evening. Game 1’s near miss and Game 2’s conquest won’t mean anything when the ball goes up in the air in Indiana.

It’ll still serve to make the flight home an enjoyable one, though. All while, in the same airspace, LeBron James seethes his way to Indianapolis.

With just under 14 seconds left in the third quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, Indiana All-Star Paul George isolated up top against Heat star LeBron James. He then promptly left the reigning MVP in the dust with a slick hesitation and quick left-hand dribble, gained the paint, gathered, rose and viciously clipped the wings of “The Birdman,” Chris Andersen:

Just one problem, Paul: You left a little too much time on the clock before the end of the quarter.

A mammoth posterization followed by a 29-foot 3-pointer at the horn to bring the score back within two points heading into the deciding fourth quarter. Not a bad 15 seconds of basketball, huh?

Even better? After the end of the quarter, James called out to George before the two headed back to their respective benches for a quick handshake:

This was my immediate, measured, nuanced reaction:

THE NBA IS FREAKING AWESOME

— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) May 25, 2013

I stand by it.

If the clips above aren’t rocking for you, you can check out George’s flush via @cjzero and LeBron’s buzzer-beater via OUOutreach. Handshake screenshot via Bleacher Report.

Miami Heat uber-star LeBron James is widely acknowledged as the best player in the NBA, but merely calling him such doesn’t communicate just how amazing he is to watch on a daily basis. In seemingly every game, LeBron does something no other player in…

In his final two games against the Indiana Pacers as a member of the Boston Celtics, Ray Allen combined to shoot 10-27 from the field. In the 2012-13 regular season, against Indiana, Allen missed 13 of 16 shots, and made just one three-pointer in nine attempts. Allen, an 88 percent free throw shooter on the year, did make 4-5 from the line.

Over the first six quarters of Indiana’s pairing with Allen’s Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, the bad luck streak in dancing school has continued, with the sharpshooter hitting for just eight attempts in 10 tries off the Miami bench. Weirder, he’s missed three of his six free throw attempts, including the infamous clang that allowed the Pacers to tie Game 1 at the end of regulation, and a technical foul miss that led to a mention that we very much appreciated.

This could be the tipping off point. A post like this could serve as a lowest dip for Allen and the Heat, especially if they find away to stop what should be a lacking Pacers offense (scored 50 points in the second half in game one, and 53 in Friday evening’s first half) and dash into the open court. The long arms of Paul George, Lance Stephenson, and George Hill aren’t as effective when Allen is spotting up in the corner in transition, with LeBron whipping away pass after pass.

It’s a pattern so far, though. Shooting 15-53 in six and a half games isn’t a fluke, it’s a matchup problem. The Heat had quite a bit to worry about entering this third round with Indiana. They probably didn’t think they’d have to Ray Allen’s shooting stroke, though. Odd, and untimely.

(And, perhaps, just one second half blitzkrieg away from righting itself.)

Early in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, Indy reserve Sam Young was called for a foul while guarding Heat star LeBron James. Young wasn’t thrilled about the ticky-tack foul; the swingman swung his arm down in frustration and connected with the ball after the whistle. James was holding the basketball, and he didn’t appreciate the swinging. The two briefly had words, and the referees assessed Young a technical foul.

Well, Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw didn’t much care for that call, and he let the officials know it while Ray Allen strode to the line to shoot the technical free throw. As Allen made the shot, Shaw was assessed a technical foul of his own, putting Allen back at the stripe — but this time, the vaunted sharpshooter missed. And when that happened, Shaw knew just what to say:

You know, I’ve always liked that Brian Shaw.

And in case you’re wondering: Yes, he played with Rasheed Wallace … for one game in 1999. Clearly, one needn’t be around Sheed for very long for him to have a life-changing impact.

After a very tightly officiated second quarter that featured 22 personal foul calls, the Pacers went into intermission with a 53-47 lead.

Video via our dude @cjzero.

With small-ball lineups reigning the NBA these days, the third-string center has become something of a lost figure. On the rare occasions when these players do get off the bench, it’s typically only to provide fouls or eat up a few minutes in the event of injury. They’ve always been role players, but now that job is becoming increasingly minor and perhaps surplus to requirements.

Some players persist, though, including Golden State Warriors big man Andris Biedrins. Despite averaging only 9.3 minutes in 53 games this season (with ostensible starter Andrew Bogut missing 50 games), Biedrins has an early termination option to opt out of his $9 million contract for the 2013-14 season, the last year of the six-year, $54 million extension he signed as a very promising player in July 2008. To the surprise of no one, Biedrins has chosen not to exercise that option. From Chris Haynes for CSNNW.com (via PBT):

As was expected, Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins will exercise his player option and return to the Bay Area for the 2013-14 season, according to his agent Bill Duffy. [...]

“He will not opt out,” Duffy stated clearly to CSNNW.com.

General Manager Bob Myers has some tough decisions to make being that the Warriors are destined to be luxury tax payers next season with roughly $75 million in salary tied-up.

The punitive luxury tax system goes into effect and Carl Landry (player option), Jarrett Jack (free agent) are integral pieces the organization would hope to retain.

To be clear, this is not news because of the announcement, which was as predictable as anything that has happened in the NBA this season. There’s no way that Biedrins would make this kind of money on the open market, if he were even to get a new contract offer at all. It’s a shame, too, because he once looked like the kind of big man who could thrive in this era: at his best, he was active, athletic, able to cover a lot of ground, and a solid performer in pick-and-roll situations.

Under the last collective bargaining agreement, Biedrins’s $9 million salary would have been an enticing trade asset for any team looking to open up cap space for future free agents. However, with the new CBA making it easier for teams to sign their own players to extensions, it’s not necessarily as valuable to hold a great deal of cap space.

The Warriors, then, are likely going to have to pay Biedrins for another year. With little-used wing Richard Jefferson holding his own $11 million player option, the Warriors could be faced with paying two end-of-bench players approximately $20 million simply because of past mistakes (Jefferson came over in a trade, but it’s not as if the Warriors didn’t know they’d have to pay him). That’s roughly a quarter of the likely salary cap, which emphasizes just how little margin for error teams have.

Biedrins and Jefferson signed these contracts fairly long ago, to the point where general managers can’t be faulted too much for not predicting they’d become albatrosses under a then-undefined CBA. Nevertheless, their effect on the cap for this upcoming season suggests that these lucrative deals might not exist for valued role players in the future. With each contract getting teams closer to a more punitive luxury tax, it makes little sense to risk massive payouts on all but the best players on a team. If a player’s success seems at all tenuous, why risk financial headaches for uncertain rewards? We could see more extreme salaries, with a team’s most valuable players getting up near the max-level salary and everyone else inching nearer to the minimum. In effect, it might mean the marginalization of the NBA’s middle class.