The Indiana Pacers have kept the Eastern Conference finals alive with a narrow 93-90 win over the Miami Heat, preventing the two-time defending champions from sealing the series.
The home side, knowing that they needed the victory to avoid elimination, started strongly but still found themselves trailing at the break after struggling in the second quarter.
However, Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert led a third-quarter charge by the Pacers which restored their lead, giving them a seven-point advantage heading into the final 12 minutes.
LeBron James and Chris Bosh tried to pull it back for the visitors, but Paul George matched their scoring, adding 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to keep Indiana ahead.
The win ensures that the teams will play a sixth game tomorrow, when the Heat will have another chance to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals.
Sian Cowper
