At this point in his career, LeBron James needs little, if any motivation, especially when it comes to history-making performances in the playoffs.
Lance Stephenson and the Indiana Pacers clearly didn’t get the memo.
The Miami Heat subdued the Pacers on Monday night, executing a 102-90 wire-to-wire victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
James racked up a game-high 31 points and added 10 REB, 5 AST and 2 STL in a thoroughly dominant effort against his hated Indiana rivals.
Stephenson, who called James’ trash talking a sign of weakness during a Sunday presser, undoubtedly suffered the consequences.
Miami held the Pacers fiery shooting guard to without a single basket until 5:31 left in the fourth quarter. He finished with just nine points and was in foul trouble throughout, with three coming in the first half alone.
Stephenson’s disappearance aside, it was the resurrection of one Chris Bosh that fueled the Heat in the opening quarter and set the pace for the entire game.
Bosh dropped in the game’s first eight points, including two pivotal hits from downtown. His 10 points in the frame eclipsed his game-long totals in each of the first three contests versus Indiana.
A strong output from team-leader David West and top bench asset Luis Scola couldn’t prevent Bosh, James and the Heat from securing a 27-19 lead after one.
Fortunately, the underdog road squad found life in the second quarter.
Two Scola jumpers and a 24-footer from Rasual Butler helped mitigate a huge potential hole when Bosh tallied seven straight at the midway point. West and Paul George did the same to combat a mini run by James near the end of the quarter.
George’s 26-foot three-pointer with two seconds left was the final catalyst that helped keep Indiana to within 49-44 at halftime.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, any single-digit deficits soon became a memory of a nostalgic past.
The best player in the basketball universe made sure of it in the third quarter.
A quick succession from James featuring a smooth step-back jumper from 24-feet, an insanity-inducing dunk and two free throws put the Heat up by 13. His 14 points in the quarter, combined with eight from Bosh and Dwyane Wade extended the cushion to 19.
West’s layup as time expired in the third managed to reduce the Pacers deficit to a less unsightly, but still overwhelming 80-64 margin.
The same cannot be said for Indiana after a mere three minutes elapsed in the final quarter.
Miami’s increasingly dynamic reserve Norris Cole knocked down a three that boosted the Heat’s lead to 20. Ray Allen’s 25-footer pushed it to 21, while Wade’s three-point play and a layup from the beloved Udonis Haslem stretched it to 23 with 7:41 remaining.
Nine points from George and Stephenson’s only three baskets seemingly brought the Pacers back to within single digits late in the fourth.
But like the ephemeral nature of a crashing wave, Indiana’s fate was sealed just seconds later.
James officially concluded the lopsided festivities at 102-90 with a SportsCenter-worthy and-one.
George led the Pacers with 23 PTS, while West notched a 20-PTS, 12-REB double-double. George Hill had 15, Scola added 12 off the bench and Roy Hibbert reverted back to his zero-point, four-foul futility.
Indiana generated a higher shooting percentage and more rebounds, assists and points in the paint. But 20 points given up off 14 turnovers ultimately proved fatal against the best transition team in the NBA.
Bosh showed up in fine form as Miami’s second-leading producer with 25 PTS and 6 REB. Wade went for a quiet, but still significant 15 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST and 2 STL.
Of course, it was James’ passing of Michael Jordan with his 74th career 25-5-5 game in the playoffs that ruled the day for the two-time defending champs.
The Heat finished with a plus-19 in the free-throw department (30-to-11 in points from the line) and surrendered an inconsequential six points off just seven turnovers.
Miami will look to close things out Wednesday night (8:30 PM ET) on the road in Game 5 of these Eastern Finals.
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