2:35 a.m. EDT June 2, 2013 INDIANAPOLIS — Game 7 became a certainty in the Eastern Conference finals after one key call didn't go the Miami Heat's way Saturday, and they exploded in reaction. But this time, not for a win.LeBron James and assistant Dave Fizdale were called for technical fouls in the fourth quarter after an offensive foul on James, right as the Heat were pushing for a comeback from a 17-point deficit. "I had to run down the court to avoid being thrown out. I thought it was a pretty bad call," said James,

who sprinted away from the basket after the call. "I don't complain about calls a lot, but I thought me and Hibbert met at the mountaintop. "I have no idea why that was an offensive foul. So to stop me from being ejected, I just ran away from the ref that called it. ... I said absolutely nothing. I ran down the court to get me away from the scene of the crime, I guess."

The play was just part of strong Indiana Pacers second half in which the home team stunned Miami with a devastating third quarter toward a 91-77 victory here in Game 6.

"We don't want the focus to be on the officiating," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They made the call. It doesn't matter if we agree or disagree. ... We just want the focus to be on the players and the game. This is a very compelling series with contrasting styles, and now it comes down to a Game 7.

"May the best team win. That's what it's about."

After building a 68-51 lead late in the third quarter, the Pacers had to hold off the Heat's expected comeback attempt.
They did, and now Game 7 is Monday in Miami (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

The Pacers face another monumental task: beat Miami on the road and become the first team in the series to win consecutive games – all the more difficult considering the Heat haven't lost two in a row since January.

This will be the Pacers' first Game 7 under coach Frank Vogel, who has believed his team could beat Miami since the start of the series.
"If you're an elimination game, there's always going to be some desperation, but we're still very confident," Vogel said early in the day.

A combination of desperation and confidence extended Indiana's season at least one more game.
"In Game 5, they came out and seized control of the game in the third quarter. And I felt like we could do the same thing," Vogel said. "(Before the game) I wrote, 'Be encouraged.' There's a lot to be encouraged about in this series. That was my message to our guys. ... Just tighten the screws and do what we do, and we'll be tough to beat."

Miami is now 9-3 in games in which it had a chance to close out the series since the formation of the Big 3 in 2010, James and Chris Bosh joining Heat star Dwyane Wade. This will be just the second Game 7 for Miami since it beat the Boston Celtics in the final game of last season's conference finals.

With Chris Andersen suspended for his excessive pushing of Tyler Hansborough in Game 5, Miami used backup center Joel Anthony, who had played just seven minutes in the series. While Anthony missed his first three shots, he collected five offensive rebounds in the first half, three more than Bosh had in the previous five games.

Indiana had its own issue. Power forward David West, who had given Miami trouble, played with an upper respiratory illness. Vogel said West had a 100.3-degree temperature. It showed. West missed all seven shots he took in the first half but managed eight rebounds. His illness offset Andersen's absence. But West would come back in the second half with some key buckets late.

"David West understands what's at stake," George said. "We'll take David West any day, sick or healthy. He just gave us his all. The shots he knocked down really were in clutch moments. That's just the kind of player David West is."

The Pacers this time relied on forward George and center Roy Hibbert, who have been their best players in the series. George had 28 points and eight rebounds and Hibbert had 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Pacers shot 50.0% from the field.

"What really, what separated it was us being effective in transition," George said. "We found opportunities to strike early and really execute."
But more important than their offense, the Pacers shut down Miami's offense, holding the Heat to 36.1% shooting from the field.

Indiana had a great read of Miami's offensive sets all game. James had 29 points, but Wade got only 10 points and Bosh added just three points on 1-for-8 shooting.

Right now, James simply does not have enough offensive help. Ray Allen and Shane Battier are not shooting well, and Bosh and Wade, playing with injuries, can't provide what they did all season. Indiana's defense has contributed to all that.

"I've got to find ways to get those guys comfortable and in areas where they can be aggressive, and that will be my focus for the next 48 hours," Spoelstra said. "They're obviously a major part of what we do. ... I know those two men's character, and this is one of those where they come up for the big moments."

The Pacers took control at the start of the second half with a 14-2 run in the first six minutes, 12 seconds. Hibbert went to work with seven of those points.

Miami went 1-for-11 in that stretch, including 0-for-4 at the rim. Indiana eventually had a 66-49 lead with 59 seconds left in the third quarter and led 68-55 after three.

Miami got to within 72-68 with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter but didn't have enough left to complete the comeback. And after James was called for an offensive foul, he objected too much, running all the way down to the opposite end of the floor. He got a technical, as did Fizdale. Then Indiana went on a 9-0 run.

"Total domination by the Pacers in the third," James said. "They made a lot of shots. We didn't get too many stops. And we missed a lot of really, really easy shots. D-Wade had a chippy in transition. 'Rio had a chippy in transition where he bobbled a turnover on a 3-on-1 break. CB had a couple looks. They pushed it up.