Die Macht » walked a career-high three times. He had just 11

MIAMI -- The game was very much in doubt. A sold-out arena was basically silent. The chance of getting back to the NBA Finals for a third straight year could have slipped away. Cue LeBron James. A third quarter for the ages by the four-time MVP turned the game, and perhaps the entire Eastern Conference finals, around. James scored 16 of his 30 points in the quarter, fueling what was a 20-point turnaround at one point, and the Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 90-79 in Game 5 on Thursday night. The Heat lead the series 3-2, with a chance to finish it off in Indiana on Saturday night and move on to a finals matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. "Thats what I came here for, to be able to compete for a championship each and every year," James said. "Im one step away from doing it once again. Its not promised. Its not promised at all. I made a tough decision. Obviously, I think we all know the story. I envisioned something that was bigger as far as a team ... and weve got an opportunity as a team, once again, for the third year straight to make a trip to the NBA Finals." Indiana was up 46-40 early in the third, surely sensing a chance to grab total control of the series. Over the next 11 minutes, the Heat outscored the Pacers 30-10, with James either scoring or accounting for 25 Miami points. He shot 7 for 10 in the third quarter; the Pacers shot 3 for 14. He had four rebounds in the quarter; the Pacers, as a team, grabbed six. He had four assists in the quarter; the Pacers had one. "Thats LeBron showing his greatness and making it look easy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "What we talked about was doing whatever it takes and competing for each other without leaving anything out there. His engine in that third quarter was incredible. He was tireless, he was making plays on both ends of the court, rebounding, covering so much ground defensively and then making virtually every play for us offensively. Its really remarkable." James added eight rebounds and six assists, and Udonis Haslem made his last eight shots on the way to a 16-point night. Mario Chalmers scored 12 and Dwyane Wade added 10 for the Heat, who ousted the Pacers in six games in a second-round matchup last season and will look to do the same this time around, albeit one round deeper. Paul George had 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who got 22 points from Roy Hibbert and 17 from David West. The Pacers led by as many as seven at one point, but had no answer for the Heat in the third and now have to win back-to-back games -- against a team that hasnt lost consecutive games since early January. "I dont really know," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said, when asked if theres anything a team can do when James gets on a roll like the one he had in the third quarter. "He was pretty special tonight. Theres no question about it. This whole team is special. Its one of the best teams that this leagues ever seen and were enjoying competing against them. We know we can beat them, but weve got to play better than we did tonight." Haslem said Juwan Howard threw a few things in the locker room and had a few choice words for teammates at halftime -- "a lot of bleeps and stuff like that," Haslem said -- and that James echoed the same remarks just before the start of the third. "We had 24 minutes to play for our livelihoods," Haslem said. "And thats how we played in the second half." Haslems first shot of the night was a complete brick, bouncing off the top of the backboard. He was perfect the rest of the way, including going 5 for 5 in the third. For the second time in the series, Haslem -- who has struggled with his shot for the better part of two years -- finished 8 for 9. "That burned us," Vogel said. Haslem got past Hibbert easily and into the lane for a dunk that put Miami up 47-46, the first Heat lead since 4-2. The Pacers were back on top by a point with 6:58 left in the third when fighting words reappeared, on a play where George Hill was called for an offensive foul after getting caught pushing off on a drive. West angrily approached Chalmers after the play and both of those players, along with Haslem, got technicals when it was all said and done. It clearly fired up Miami. James and Haslem combined to score 18 of their teams 21 points in the final 6:04 of the third. Everything came on jump shots, including a 3-pointer from Chalmers, three jumpers averaging 20 feet from Haslem, and five more from James, including a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the quarter that put Miami up 70-56 and had him yelling at no one in particular as the arena roared. "We didnt have enough fight," West said. "We stalled." George didnt sound overly impressed even after James third-quarter numbers. "He just came out and make some shots," George said. "You take away that third, and were in the ballgame." As if this one needed any more buildup, there was plenty of news long before tipoff. The NBA announced Thursday morning that it fined James, West and Lance Stephenson $5,000 each for flopping in Game 4, plus upgraded a foul that West committed against Wade in the fourth quarter of that game to a flagrant-1. Then Hibbert and West, speaking after Indianas morning practice, said they have to protect their knees when Shane Battier is in the game for Miami, though neither flatly accused the Heat forward of dirty play. And all that happened more than eight hours prior to game time. Things didnt exactly calm down once the ball went into the air. Indiana was blown out in Game 5 of a tied-up series at Miami last season, never holding the lead and losing by 32 points. This one took a much different tone from the outset, with the Pacers running out to a 15-9 lead that could have been worse for Miami given that West and Hibbert combined to miss three easy layups in the opening minutes. "Theres no question, we blew some opportunities in the first quarter," Vogel said. George and Hibbert combined for all of Indianas 23 points in the first quarter. Indianas lead was four after the period, and when the second began, the reminders that these teams simply do not like each other started coming fast and furious. Chris Andersen and Tyler Hansbrough needed to be separated early in the second, and both got technicals after Andersen appeared to hit Hansbrough twice, first with a shoulder and then with a two-hand shove. Andersen also picked up a flagrant-1 for his efforts, things cooled off a bit for the rest of the half, and Indiana went into the break up 44-40. The Pacers then scored the first basket of the third. After that, all Heat. Or more specifically, all James and Haslem, who put together a burst that the defending champions desperately needed. "Its the playoffs," Wade said. "Shane Battier said this is when you feel alive, when your backs against the wall. ... Youve got to go out there and play. This is what we prepared for all season." A year ago, the Heat lost Game 5 of the East finals to Boston, and needed a 45-point game from James in Game 6 just to extend their season. Not this time. The finals are now one win away. "We were able to respond," James said. NOTES: The last time Haslem had a 10-point third quarter was also against Indiana -- but in March 2009. ... David Beckham was courtside near the Heat bench, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was courtside near the Pacers bench. ... Hansbrough left in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle after falling over Battier, who was down on the court after going for a rebound. ... Both teams seemed a tad nervous in the opening moments. Wade had two airballs in the first quarter, Haslem had a jumper bounce off the top of the backboard, and Hill tossed an alley-oop that missed everybody and bounced off the backboard like a fastball.Steph Curry Shoes Deals . LUCIE, Fla. Steph Curry Shoes For Sale . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. https://www.stephencurryshoescheap.com/ . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Cheap Steph Curry Shoes .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Wholesale Steph Curry Shoes .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.PHILADELPHIA -- Denard Span delivered one of the Giants biggest hits this season.Span homered leading off the 10th inning, and San Francisco beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Thursday for just its fifth win in 14 games since the All-Star break.We needed this win more than ever, Span said.San Francisco, which lost the first two games of the series, has not been swept by Philadelphia in 10 years.Id say thats one of our bigger hits, manager Bruch Bochy said. It couldnt have come at a better time. To get a win here does a lot for the psyche and morale of the ballclub.Matt Moore made his first start for the NL West leader following his acquisition Monday from Tampa Bay. He allowed two runs and three hits in six innings and walked six -- matching his major league high.It started with Matt, Bochy said. He did a terrific job, just a great effort on his part.Moore gave up one hit through five innings and took a 2-1 lead into the sixth, when Freddy Galvis grounded into a forceout with the bases loaded. Moore then threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter Taylor Featherston.I was maybe a tad bit geared up, he said. I just kind of calmed down and got back to simple things.Span led off the 10th by sending a 2-2, 95 mph fastball from Severino Gonzalez (0-2) just inside the right-field foul pole, his third hit of the game.I was just trying to protect, he said. I felt good this series and want to build off this.Sergio Romo (1-0) earned the win without getting an out. Cesar Hernandez was caught stealing for the final out of the ninth when he overslid the base while Romo was facing his first batter.We were disappointed in that, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. He stole that base easily and slid past the bag and weve addressed that at length with him because he has a tendency to do that.Santiago Casilla pitched a 1-2-3 10th for his 25th save in 30 chances.Philadelphia starter Vince Velasquez gave up two runs and three hits inn five innings.dddddddddddd.Brandon Crawford hit an RBI single in the first, but Aaron Altherrs run-scoring double tied the score in the bottom half. Span hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth.San Francisco put runners on first and second with no outs in the eighth. Brett Oberholtzer got three straight outs, the last on Altherrs diving catch on Brandon Belts sinking liner to center.TRAINERS ROOMPhillies: Velasquez called for a trainer in the fifth inning after he developed a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. The right-hander was able to pitch through the fifth, but Mackanin didnt let him go back for the sixth due to the blister.I didnt want to get him into a situation where he might miss his next start, Mackanin said. It wasnt a bad blister, but you could see it developing.EASY WINRomo is the first pitcher since 2009 to earn a victory without officially facing a batter. Colorados Alan Embree last accomplished the feat, on July 7, 2009. The previous Giants pitcher to do it was Tyler Walker on Sept. 17, 2005 against the Dodgers.WALK THIS WAYPhiladelphias Tommy Joseph walked a career-high three times. He had just 11 walks in 203 at-bats this season entering Thursday.NEXT MAN UPMackanin said 22-year-old right-hander Jake Thompson will make his first big league start Saturday at San Diego. Taken by Detroit in the second round of the 2012 amateur draft, Thompson was acquired by the Phillies last season as part of the deal that sent left-hander Cole Hamels to Texas.UP NEXTGiants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (9-7, 4.30) takes the mound for San Francisco when the Giants open a three-game series at NL East-leading Washington on Friday night.Phillies: Philadelphia begins a six-game trip on Friday night in San Diego when RHP Jeremy Hellickson (8-7, 3.70) faces LHP Christian Friedrich (4-6, 4.72). ' ' '