LeBron James scored 22 - 16 in the first half before wearing down - and Mario Chalmers added 25 for Miami. However, Dwyane Wade scored only five points on 2-of-13 shooting for the Heat, already missing forward Chris Bosh because of a strained abdominal muscle and not expected to return for this series.
They made big shots, challenged everything the Heat tossed in the air and didn't back down from a Miami team that appeared poised to make an easy run to the NBA Finals after top-seeded Chicago lost Derrick Rose and was eliminated in the first round.
In the second half, Indiana forward David West flung James to the floor in the lane, and Granger later got in the superstar's face after a foul on a breakaway. After winning Game 2 in South Florida by three points, the Pacers wanted to show they're for real.
Thunder rally past L.A.
Even down late, the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing that they are never out.
Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left as the Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder trailed by seven with two minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to claw back in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason.
"They won't quit. That's not in their DNA," coach Scott Brooks said. "If we would have gotten down on ourselves with two minutes to go, we would have lost by 12 and we would go to L.A. 1-1."
Instead, the Thunder take a two-games-to-none lead into Game 3 Friday night at the Staples Center.
- Associated Press
