INDIANAPOLIS – Dwyane Wade tied a franchise record for most points in a first half with 31, and finished with 41 overall to help the Miami Heat defeat the Indiana Pacers 110-103 on Tuesday night.

Wade also finished with 12 rebounds for the Heat, who bounced back from a loss to Boston on Sunday.

LeBron James scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and Chris Bosh added 22 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which has won eight of nine.

Roy Hibbert scored 18 points and Tyler Hansbrough added 16 for the Pacers. Indiana has won seven of nine under interim coach Frank Vogel, with both losses coming against the Heat.

The Heat visit the Raptors on Wednesday night, marking Bosh’s first game in Toronto since bolting to Miami in the off-season.

Miami led by 24 points in the first half, then lost the lead before regaining it for good in the fourth quarter.

James threw the ball off the backboard, caught it with one hand and dunked to give Miami a 93-91 lead with six minutes to play. James converted a basket in close over the seven-foot-two Hibbert, then scored on a tip-in to push Miami’s lead to 99-94, and the Heat led the rest of the way.

Wade dominated Mike Dunleavy for 16 points in the first 5:05 of the game. When Vogel finally switched the matchup and brought in rookie Paul George, Wade splashed a jumper in George’s face seconds after he entered. Wade finished the period with 22 points, the most he has scored in a quarter this season. One of his baskets was a jumper from behind the backboard.

Miami led 41-19 at the end of the quarter. It was the most points the Heat have scored in a quarter and their highest point differential in a quarter this season.

The Pacers went to their bench and flipped the script. Led by Hansbrough, the Pacers shot 64 per cent in the second quarter. Indiana outscored the Heat 35-17 in the period and trailed 58-54 at halftime.

Miami led 64-58 when George made a three-pointer. Collison stole the inbounds pass, and Danny Granger made a three-pointer to tie it with 8:33 left in the third quarter. The Pacers took a 73-68 lead when George made three free throws after getting fouled on a three-pointer with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

Miami regained the lead with a 6-0 run, and the advantage seesawed through the rest of the quarter. Hansbrough hit a mid-range jumper as time expired in the third quarter to give the Pacers an 83-82 lead.

Notes: Miami shot 71 per cent in the first quarter and outrebounded the Pacers 15-6. … Pacers G Brandon Rush returned after missing 10 straight games with a sprained right ankle. … Miami C Erick Dampier was called for a technical foul with 1:05 left in the 2nd quarter. … Indiana had its fifth sellout of the season. … Indiana has scored at least 100 points in every game since Vogel took over.

Dwyane Wade tied a franchise record for most points in a first half with 31, and finished with 41 overall to help the Miami Heat defeat the Indiana Pacers 110-103 on Tuesday night.

Wade also finished with 12 rebounds for the Heat, who bounced back from a loss to Boston on Sunday.

LeBron James scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and Chris Bosh added 22 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which has won eight of nine.

Roy Hibbert scored 18 points and Tyler Hansbrough added 16 for the Pacers. Indiana has won seven of nine under interim coach Frank Vogel, with both losses coming against the Heat.

Miami led by 24 points in the first half, then lost the lead before regaining it for good in the fourth quarter.

James threw the ball off the backboard, caught it with one hand and dunked to give Miami a 93-91 lead with six minutes to play. James converted a basket in close over the 7-foot-2 Hibbert, then scored on a tip-in to push Miami’s lead to 99-94, and the Heat led the rest of the way.

Wade dominated Mike Dunleavy for 16 points in the first 5:05 of the game. When Vogel finally switched the matchup and brought in rookie Paul George, Wade splashed a jumper in George’s face seconds after he entered. Wade finished the period with 22 points, the most he has scored in a quarter this season. One of his baskets was a jumper from behind the backboard.

Miami led 41-19 at the end of the quarter. It was the most points the Heat have scored in a quarter and their highest point differential in a quarter this season.

The Pacers went to their bench and flipped the script. Led by Hansbrough, the Pacers shot 64 percent in the second quarter. Indiana outscored the Heat 35-17 in the period and trailed 58-54 at halftime.

Miami led 64-58 when George made a 3-pointer. Collison stole the inbounds pass, and Danny Granger made a 3-pointer to tie it with 8:33 left in the third quarter. The Pacers took a 73-68 lead when George made three free throws after getting fouled on a 3-pointer with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

Miami regained the lead with a 6-0 run, and the advantage seesawed through the rest of the quarter. Hansbrough hit a mid-range jumper as time expired in the third quarter to give the Pacers an 83-82 lead.

Notes: Miami shot 71 percent in the first quarter and outrebounded the Pacers 15-6. … Pacers G Brandon Rush returned after missing 10 straight games with a sprained right ankle. … Miami C Erick Dampier was called for a technical foul with 1:05 left in the 2nd quarter. … Indiana had its fifth sellout of the season. … Indiana has scored at least 100 points in every game since Vogel took over.

Read More: Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat

The Indiana Pacers took a valiant last stand for team-oriented, family-friendly basketball, but came up short against the superstar Miami Heat, 110-103. The Pacers had 11 players score three or more points — the Heat had just six. Of course, when Dwyane Wade erupts for 41 points and 12 rebounds and LeBron James and Chris Bosh combine for 49, you don’t need a whole lot of supplemental scoring.

Indiana gave the Heat a better game than should’ve been expected, especially after Miami ran out to a huge first quarter lead. The Pacers’ playoff push officially has legs.

Four Pacers hit double figures on the night.

In a way, Miami needed this win even more than Indy did. Any wins they can grab over teams beside the Boston Celtics will be needed if they want to force Boston to play the toughest NBA Playoffs road possible.

For more on this game join Peninsula Is Mightier and Indy Cornrows.

The Indiana Pacers have thrived under interim coach Frank Vogel’s new approach, winning seven of eight games in their push for a playoff berth.

Their only loss in that stretch came against the Miami Heat.

The teams meet again Tuesday night in Indiana as Miami looks to rebound after falling out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers (24-28) have surged into eighth place in the East, with a slight cushion over ninth-place Charlotte. Indiana is averaging 107.6 points since Vogel took over, compared to 97.8 under the fired Jim O’Brien.

Four Pacers scored in double figures in a 103-97 win over Milwaukee on Saturday, with Danny Granger(notes) recording a game-high 30 points.

“Honestly, I just think we started playing toward our strengths,” Granger said of Vogel’s emphasis. “Whereas before, we kind of just tried to mold everybody into the system that we had. Now, we play inside-out. We’ve got a really quick point guard, so we play up-tempo. We space people out because we have a lot of good shooters. We’re just playing to the strengths that we have with this team.”

Vogel said his players are believing in themselves.

“Our guys are starting to understand how good they are,” Vogel said. “They’re taking care of their business in the fourth quarter with poise and patience.”

That wasn’t the case last Tuesday against the Heat, however, as Indiana was dominated in the fourth quarter of a 117-112 loss. Miami erased a seven-point deficit by outscoring the Pacers 27-15 in the final period.

LeBron James(notes) scored 41 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, helping Miami (39-15) avenge a 93-77 defeat to Indiana on Nov. 22.

James scored 22 points but missed a critical free throw with 12.5 seconds remaining in a 85-82 loss to Boston on Sunday, which dropped Miami into second place in the East behind the Celtics.

Chris Bosh(notes) had 24 points and 10 rebounds, but Dwyane Wade(notes) shot 6 of 17 and combined with James to commit 10 of the Heat’s 17 turnovers. The Celtics turned a four-point halftime deficit into a 74-61 lead at the end of the third.

“We definitely dug ourselves a hole,” James said. “We can’t expect to come into Boston and turn the ball over 12 times in the first half. We also can’t afford to come in the third quarter and not have our motor going and let them go on a 20-3 run to start the quarter. I feel 10 times out of 10 you’re going to lose those games.”

Wade suffered through an even worse shooting effort against Indiana in November, going 1 of 13 from the field and finishing with three points in one of the worst performances of his career.

James has averaged 34.9 points in his last seven against the Pacers, winners of five straight at home.

Miami has taken five of the last six meetings and two in a row at Conseco Fieldhouse.

MIAMI — With LeBron James on the bench, the Indiana Pacers quickly took command. Unfortunately for them, he returned.

The league’s two-time reigning MVP had 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, Chris Bosh added 19 points, and the Miami Heat rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 117-112 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Miami held Indiana to 28 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, giving up only 15 points after yielding a 97 in the first three periods, and saw Mario Chalmers force Dahntay Jones into a key five-second violation with 8.9 seconds remaining.

James took care of the rest, and Miami moved within a half-game of idle Boston for the Eastern Conference’s best record.

In his last 20 games, James is averaging 29.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists. Not coincidentally, the Heat are 17-3 in those contests.

“I’ll tell you what – he’s playing MVP-like basketball on both ends of the court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He had a motor tonight that did not fatigue. It was amazing.”

James had 26 points in the first half, sending one dunk through the net and accidentally off Dwyane Wade’s head — “My bad,” James said later — then going on a tear in the final two minutes, where he turned what was a 66-52 deficit into a 66-63 game going into halftime.

James went on the attack — outrunning Danny Granger in transition for one dunk, flashing out of the high post and taking a pass from Chalmers for another, then converting a spinning layup while getting fouled.

“We would have been up by 40 if it wasn’t for him,” Granger said. “He was unconscious.” In the end, Miami needed every bit of his heroics.

“The best player in the world played at his best in his own building,” said Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel, who fell to 4-1 since taking over on the Indiana sideline. “It’s tough to beat.”

Wade scored 17 and Chalmers added 16 for Miami, which moved five games ahead of second-place Atlanta in the Southeast Division.

Roy Hibbert scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds for Indiana. Granger scored 19 and Tyler Hansbrough added 18 for the Pacers. Darren Collison scored 15 points, Josh McRoberts added 12 and Jones scored 11 for Indiana.

MIAMI — With LeBron James on the bench, the Indiana Pacers quickly took command.

Unfortunately for them, he returned.

The league’s two-time reigning MVP had 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, Chris Bosh added 19 points and the Miami Heat rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Pacers 117-112 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Miami held Indiana to 28 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, giving up only 15 points after yielding a 97 in the first three periods, and saw Mario Chalmers force Dahntay Jones into a key 5-second violation with 8.9 seconds remaining.

James took care of the rest, and Miami moved within a half-game of idle Boston for the Eastern Conference’s best record.

“We figured it out in the fourth quarter,” James said. “Held them to 15 points and we executed.”

In his last 20 games, James is averaging 29.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists. Not coincidentally, the Heat are 17-3 in those contests.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s playing MVP-like basketball on both ends of the court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He had a motor tonight that did not fatigue. It was amazing.”

James had 26 points in the first half, sending one dunk through the net and accidentally off Dwyane Wade’s head — “My bad,” James said later — then going on a tear in the final two minutes where he turned what was a 66-52 deficit into a 66-63 game going into halftime.

James went on the attack — outrunning Danny Granger in transition for one dunk, flashing out of the high post and taking a pass from Chalmers for another, then converting a spinning layup while getting fouled.

“We would have been up by 40 if it wasn’t for him,” Granger said. “He was unconscious.”

In the end, Miami needed every bit of his heroics.

“The best player in the world played at his best in his own building,” said Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel, who fell to 4-1 since taking over on the Indiana sideline. “It’s tough to beat.”

Wade scored 17 and Chalmers added 16 for Miami, which moved five games ahead of second-place Atlanta in the Southeast Division.

“You don’t have to be awesome every night,” Wade said. “You have to find a way to help your ballclub win and we were able to do that.”

Roy Hibbert scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds for Indiana. Granger scored 19 and Tyler Hansbrough added 18 for the Pacers.

Indiana was shooting better than 60 percent at one point in the second half, and was at 57 percent entering the final quarter. But the Pacers shot 5 for 18 in the fourth, including one dreadful stretch that gave the Heat life.

Indiana missed nine straight shots over a span of nearly 6½ minutes, but Granger’s layup with 51.9 seconds remaining — which snapped the drought — got the Pacers within 111-110.

They needed a stop, and couldn’t deliver.

Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer, but Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound to extend the possession and James eventually wound up connecting from 17 feet with 14.1 seconds left for a 113-110 Heat lead.

“A shootout for three quarters, both teams scoring the ball, making highlight plays … and scoring with relative ease,” Spoelstra said. “Finally we made a stand in the fourth quarter.”

Darren Collison scored 15 points, Josh McRoberts added 12 and Jones scored 11 for Indiana, which was trying to join Boston and Dallas as teams that beat Miami twice this season.

The Heat spoke both Monday and pregame Tuesday about wanting to avenge a 93-77 home loss to the Pacers on Nov. 22. It easily was their worst home defeat of the season — considering the 16-point margin in that game exceeded the 13-point margin of their other four losses in Miami combined.

Words didn’t translate into play. At least, not for much of the night, they didn’t.

With James on the court in the opening two quarters, Miami outscored Indiana by 11. Without him, the Heat were outscored by 14 — and it happened quickly.

James only got one break in the opening half, a 3-minute, 35-second rest at the start of the second quarter. And Indiana outscored Miami 18-4 in that stretch to turn a 33-29 deficit into a 45-37 lead by the time James came back into the game.

It took until 4:34 remained in the fourth for Miami to get back on top, coming when Erick Dampier slammed in the rebound of a miss by Wade for a 106-105 edge — the first Heat lead since the opening two minutes of the second quarter.

The Pacers didn’t lead again.

“If we want greatness, greatness is consistency,” Spoelstra said. “And we’re not there yet.”

Notes

• Pacers President Larry Bird was in attendance, and shook hands with a few fans. Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of his victory at the inaugural 3-point shootout, now a staple of All-Star weekend.
• Miller gave referee David Jones a frustrated look after the veteran official nearly ran in the way of a pass coming his way with 5:20 remaining.
• Pacers guard Brandon Rush (ankle) was active, but did not play. Rush hasn’t played since Jan. 26.

MIAMI — With LeBron James on the bench, the Indiana Pacers quickly took command.

Unfortunately for them, he returned.

Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) celebrates with Dwyane Wade (3) and Erick Dampier (25) in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers in Miami, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. The Heat defeated the Pacers 117-112. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The league’s two-time reigning MVP had 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, Chris Bosh added 19 points and the Miami Heat rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 117-112 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Miami held Indiana to 28 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, giving up only 15 points after yielding a 97 in the first three periods, and saw Mario Chalmers force Dahntay Jones into a key 5-second violation with 8.9 seconds remaining.

James took care of the rest, and Miami moved within a half-game of idle Boston for the Eastern Conference’s best record.

“We figured it out in the fourth quarter,” James said. “Held them to 15 points and we executed.”

In his last 20 games, James is averaging 29.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists. Not coincidentally, the Heat are 17-3 in those contests.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s playing MVP-like basketball on both ends of the court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He had a motor tonight that did not fatigue. It was amazing.”

James had 26 points in the first half, sending one dunk through the net and accidentally off Dwyane Wade’s head — “My bad,” James said later — then going on a tear in the final 2 minutes where he turned what was a 66-52 deficit into a 66-63 game going into halftime.

James went on the attack — outrunning Danny Granger in transition for one dunk, flashing out of the high post and taking a pass from Chalmers for another, then converting a spinning layup while getting fouled.

“We would have been up by 40 if it wasn’t for him,” Granger said. “He was unconscious.”

In the end, Miami needed every bit of his heroics.

“The best player in the world played at his best in his own building,” said Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel, who fell to 4-1 since taking over on the Indiana sideline. “It’s tough to beat.”

Wade scored 17 and Chalmers added 16 for Miami, which moved five games ahead of second-place Atlanta in the Southeast Division.

“You don’t have to be awesome every night,” Wade said. “You have to find a way to help your ballclub win and we were able to do that.”

Roy Hibbert scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds for Indiana. Granger scored 19 and Tyler Hansbrough added 18 for the Pacers.

Indiana was shooting better than 60 percent at one point in the second half, and was at 57 percent entering the final quarter. But the Pacers shot 5 for 18 in the fourth, including one dreadful stretch that gave the Heat life.

Indiana missed nine straight shots over a span of nearly 6½ minutes, but Granger’s layup with 51.9 seconds remaining — which snapped the drought — got the Pacers within 111-110.

They needed a stop, and couldn’t deliver.

Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer, but Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound to extend the possession and James eventually wound up connecting from 17 feet with 14.1 seconds left for a 113-110 Heat lead.

“A shootout for three quarters, both teams scoring the ball, making highlight plays … and scoring with relative ease,” Spoelstra said. “Finally we made a stand in the fourth quarter.”

Darren Collison scored 15 points, Josh McRoberts added 12 and Jones scored 11 for Indiana, which was trying to join Boston and Dallas as teams that beat Miami twice this season.

The Heat spoke both Monday and pregame Tuesday about wanting to avenge a 93-77 home loss to the Pacers on Nov. 22. It easily was their worst home defeat of the season — considering the 16-point margin in that game exceeded the 13-point margin of their other four losses in Miami combined.

Words didn’t translate into play. At least, not for much of the night, they didn’t.

With James on the court in the opening two quarters, Miami outscored Indiana by 11. Without him, the Heat were outscored by 14 — and it happened quickly.

James only got one break in the opening half, a 3-minute, 35-second rest at the start of the second quarter. And Indiana outscored Miami 18-4 in that stretch to turn a 33-29 deficit into a 45-37 lead by the time James came back into the game.

It took until 4:34 remained in the fourth for Miami to get back on top, coming when Erick Dampier slammed in the rebound of a miss by Wade for a 106-105 edge — the first Heat lead since the opening 2 minutes of the second quarter.

The Pacers didn’t lead again.

“If we want greatness, greatness is consistency,” Spoelstra said. “And we’re not there yet.”

NOTES: Pacers president Larry Bird was in attendance, and shook hands with a few fans. Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of his victory at the inaugural 3-point shootout, now a staple of All-Star weekend. … Miller gave referee David Jones a frustrated look after the veteran official nearly ran in the way of a pass coming his way with 5:20 remaining. … Pacers guard Brandon Rush (ankle) was active, but did not play. Rush hasn’t played since Jan. 26.

— The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) – By their standards, the Miami Heat played no defense for three quarters.

They played just enough in the fourth.

LeBron James had 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, Chris Bosh added 19 points and the Miami Heat rallied from 14 points down to beat the Indiana Pacers 117-112 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Dwyane Wade scored 17 and Mario Chalmers added 16 for Miami, which moved five games ahead of second-place Atlanta in the Southeast Division. The Heat also got within a half-game of idle Boston for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Roy Hibbert scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds for Indiana, which fell to 4-1 under interim coach Frank Vogel. Danny Granger scored 19 and Tyler Hansbrough added 18 for the Pacers.

Chalmers forced Dahntay Jones into a five-second call with 8.9 seconds left, with Indiana out of time outs, and the Heat escaped.

Indiana was shooting better than 60 percent at one point in the second half, and was at 57 percent entering the final quarter. But the Pacers shot 5 for 18 in the fourth, including one dreadful stretch that gave the Heat life.

Indiana missed nine straight shots over a span of nearly 6½ minutes of the final quarter, but Granger’s layup with 51.9 seconds remaining — which snapped the drought — got the Pacers within 111-110.

Even after more than half a quarter without a field goal, all Indiana needed was a stop. The Heat weren’t about to let that happen.

Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer, but Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound to extend the possession and James eventually wound up connecting from 17 feet with 14.1 seconds left for a 113-110 Heat lead.

James made two free throws shortly after to maintain the three-point margin, and Eddie House made two more from the line with 6.5 seconds remaining to seal Miami’s 38th win of the season.

Darren Collison scored 15 points, Josh McRoberts added 12 and Jones scored 11 for Indiana, which was trying to join Boston and Dallas as teams that beat Miami twice this season.

Almost happened, too.

The Heat spoke both Monday and pregame Tuesday about wanting to avenge a 93-77 home loss to the Pacers on Nov. 22. It easily was their worst home defeat of the season — considering the 16-point margin in that game exceeded the 13-point margin of their other four losses in Miami combined.

Words didn’t translate into play. At least, not for much of the night, they didn’t.

James had a huge first half, 26 points on 11 for 12 shooting, with six rebounds and four assists. With him on the court in the opening two quarters, Miami outscored Indiana by 11.

Without him, the Heat were outscored by 14 — and it happened quickly. James only got one break in the opening half, a 3-minute, 35-second rest at the start of the second quarter. And Indiana set the tone in that stretch, outscoring Miami 18-4 to turn a 33-29 deficit into a 45-37 lead by the time James came back into the game.

Hansbrough carried Indiana in the quarter, going 6 of 6 for 13 points. Jones scored nine more in the second and when Hibbert scored over Erick Dampier with 2:02 left in the half the Pacers found themselves up 66-52.

James got the Heat back into the game, and fast. Miami scored the final 11 points of the half with James on the attack — outrunning Granger in transition for one dunk, flashing out of the high post and taking a pass from Chalmers for another, then converting a spinning layup while getting fouled to draw the Heat within 66-63 at halftime.

Indiana was undeterred. Granger made three 3-pointers in the third quarter, and the Pacers used a 16-5 run to take a 97-90 lead entering the fourth. Miami got within one point twice, and two points on three other occasions, but never held the lead in the period.

It took until 4:34 remained in the fourth for Miami to get back on top, coming when Dampier slammed in the rebound of a miss by Wade for a 106-105 edge — the first Heat lead since the opening 2 minutes of the second quarter.

The Pacers wouldn’t hold the lead again.

For 48 minutes, the Indiana Pacers went toe-to-toe with one of the elite teams in the NBA, the Miami Heat.  In the end, however, a handful of wasted possessions held the Pacers back in a 117-112 defeat at American Airlines Arena.

With a playoff-like atmosphere throughout the arena, Indiana (21-28) built a 13-point advantage in the third quarter, eventually taking a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter.  Still Miami (38-14) made its run early in the fourth, stepping up its defensive effort in forcing the Pacers into a 5-for-18 effort from the floor in the final 12 minutes.

As the Heat whittled away at Indiana’s lead, the Pacers suffered through a shot clock violation and several jumpers that barely caught iron.  Still, it was not until an Erick Dampier putback with 4:33 remaining that Miami took its first lead since 37-35 at 106-105.  

Roy Hibbert scored the last of his team-high 20 when he split a pair of free throws to knot the contest, but Dwyane Wade and LeBron James knocked down jumpers on consecutive possessions to put the Heat up, 110-106, with just 1:43 showing on the clock.

Darren Collison was able to get to the free throw and line cut the deficit in half, while James split his pair of freebies to create a 111-108 contest with just over a minute remaining.  Danny Granger’s running layup in transition brought Indiana within a single point, but James knocked down another jumper over the outstretched arm of Granger to make it 113-110 with 14 ticks left.

In the subsequent timeout, Frank Vogel drew up a backdoor alley-oop to Josh McRoberts and the Pacers executed it to perfection, closing back within a lone point while taking up just .6 of a second.  Fouling James on the ensuing possession, the defending MVP converted both free throws, prompting Indiana to burn its final timeout.

Down three with 8.4 to go, Indiana never got the chance to tie the game, instead committing a cardinal sin with a five-second violation.  Two Eddie House free throws created the game’s final margin.

Still, for Indiana, it was a reaffirmation that its transformation over the last week and a half is bearing fruit.  Six Pacers finished in double figures, led by Hibbert.  Danny Granger posted 19, while Tyler Hansbrough came off the bench to score 18.  Darren Collison added 15 and eight assists, and Josh McRoberts and Dahntay Jones had 12 and 11, respectively.

The Pacers could not contain James and Wade, who continually caught the ball on the wing and drove the lane, with James collecting 41 points on 15-of-23 shooting.  Wade had 17, while Chris Bosh added 19.  Mario Chalmers benefited from the drives to score a season-high 16.

The biggest test of Indiana’s newfound resolve may come tomorrow night, when they must overcome the emotional letdown from tonight’s loss to host Charlotte at Conseco Fieldhouse in a game that has playoff implications for both squads.

Knocking down 57 percent of their attempts, the Indiana Pacers built a 14-point lead in the second quarter, eventually settling for a 66-63 advantage over the Miami Heat at the half of their game at American Airlines Arena.

Getting inside on a routine basis midway through the second, the Pacers eventually built a 66-52 lead with 2:00 left on the clock when Roy Hibbert cashed in on a hook from six feet.  However, the Heat closed on an 11-0 run to end the half, using pressure to come with two steals in the final minute to help fuel the burst.

Hibbert has continued his strong play since Frank Vogel took over the club, tying for the team lead with 13 points.  Tyler Hansbrough has teamed with Hibbert to help Indiana control the paint, adding 13 points as well.

It has been LeBron James, however, who has dominated, scoring 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting, daring the Pacers to stop him on drives to the basket.  James’s effort is the main reason Miami is hitting 55.6-percent of its attempts, as the rest of the team is 14-for-33 from the floor.