MIAMI, (Reuters) – LeBron James produced a blistering 14-point third quarter as the Miami Heat took a commanding 3-1 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals with a 102-90 win.
The Heat led 49-44 at the half, with Chris Bosh having his best performance of the postseason with 17 first-half points, but the home side ran away with the game in the third.
Miami burst out with a 7-0 streak to grab a 12-point lead and LeBron took charge with two spectacular three-pointers and a ferocious dunk among his 14 points in the third.
James, who finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, now has 74 career playoff games with at least 25 Pts, five rebounds and five assists, passing Michael Jordan for the most in NBA history.
The win puts Miami one victory away from a fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals and a shot at a third straight title.
Miami have struggled with slow starts throughout the postseason but they were determined from the outset, grabbing a swift 8-0 advantage with all the points coming from Bosh.
“Coach drew up a play for me and I pretty much made my mind up that I was going to shoot it,” said Bosh.
“After that, it’s a funny thing but when my team mates see me being aggressive like that and the shots do go in, they look for me a little bit more and I try to make their job a little easier.”