Miami 100, Indiana 88
Heat Stifle Pacers,
Knot Series at 2-2
MIAMI, May 12 (Ticker) -- Rookie Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are making believers out of the Indiana Pacers.
Wade made a pair of clutch baskets down the stretch as the Heat turned back the Pacers, 100-88, and evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games each.
In front of a raucous sellout crowd at American Airlines Arena, the Heat won their 18th straight home game and second straight against the top-seeded Pacers, whose frustration became obvious with some rough stuff late in the game.
Lamar Odom scored 22 points, Caron Butler added 21 and Wade 20 for Miami, offsetting huge games by Indiana All-Star forwards Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest, who combined for 65 points.
Odom scored 10 points in the third quarter, when the Heat grabbed the lead for good. But as he has throughout the postseason, Wade made the big baskets in the fourth quarter.
The Pacers cut an 11-point deficit to 88-84 before Wade sank a jumper to stall the rally. On the next possession, he dribbled into the lane, drew contact and flipped in a shot. His free throw made it 92-84 with 2:52 to go.
After two foul shots by Butler, Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley was ejected for a flagrant foul on Eddie Jones that touched off a brief shoving match. Just over a minute later, Artest nailed Wade with a flagrant foul.
O'Neal scored 37 points and Artest added 28, but they were the only Pacers in double figures. By contrast, the Heat had six players in double figures as they scored 100 points in the postseason for the first time since May 18, 1997, ending a drought of 38 games.
Game Five is Saturday at Indiana, where the Pacers have not lost since March 19. The Heat are 0-5 on the road in the playoffs.