Heat Is On: Miami Advances To Eastern Conference Finals

The Empire Strikes Back: Dwyane Wade And The Heat Aren't Going Away

Dwyane Wade and the Heat exploded on the Pacers in Game 6 and left the home team looking helpless. One week after we left them for dead, Miami looks as scary as ever. And that's a good thing.

NBA Playoffs: Pacers Eliminated By Heat, But Have Solid Future Ahead

The Indiana Pacers were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs by the Miami Heat on Thursday night, ending a solid run that saw them look like they might actually be able to pull off an upset over LeBron James and friends. It apparently wasn't meant to be, however ... at least not this year.

Next year could be a different story, though, as SB Nation's Indy Cornrows took time to point out how proud they were of their team following the series finale. It probably isn't exactly what Pacers fans were hoping to think about following Game 6, but the future still seems relatively bright.

Be proud of your Indiana Pacers. They made tremendous strides this season in restoring relevancy to one of the Eastern Conference's premier franchises. They had a better season than almost any fan expected. Even this offseason looming, there won't be a lockout to weigh down excitement and better yet, Indiana will still have oodles of cap issues to help the kind of strides the Pacers can take moving forward.

If the Pacers can retain Larry Bird, hold onto Brian Shaw, and get smart deals done for Roy Hibbert and George Hill, they won't lose a single beat, putting them right back in the thick of things next season, likely as the favorites in the Central Division.

It'll be interesting to see what the Pacers are able to do this summer, but after seemingly overachieving this season, it looks like Indiana is on its way up as far as NBA prominence is concerned.

For more information on the Miami Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Indiana Pacers, head over to Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana.

If This Is LeBrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

A Silver Lining For Pacers Fans

Indiana Pacers fans, your season is over. The assailant is believed to be Dwyane Wade, who remains at-large.

Wade scored 41 to power the Heat to a 105-93 victory in Game 6. Still, it was a hell of a series by the Pacers, and an even better season. After knocking around Miami -- often in and around the facial area -- over the course of the six-game second round matchup, the Pacers certainly earned themselves a few new fans. Indiana is young and they will be back.

Here's another silver lining for Pacers fans:

Good season for the Pacers. They'll be even better next year when Paul George is 8 feet tall.

— Taco Trey Kerby (@treykerby) May 25, 2012

The tombstone of the 2011-12 Indiana Pacers will read 42-24, third seed in the Eastern Conference. If Paul George grows another two inches this summer, Indy might really be in business.

Pacers Vs. Heat, 2012 NBA Playoffs Game 6: Final Score, Heat Pull Away 105-93

Indiana tested, but when it came down to it, Miami's superstar power was more than the Pacers could handle, as the Heat won a contentious series in six games.

The Heat kept the lead at roughly ten for most of the second half after an initial spurt to start the third quarter. Dwyane Wade kept up his ridiculous play from the first half, finishing on a variety of absurd drives to the hoop, and ending up with 41 points. LeBron James predictably turned up the heat after a quiet first half, finishing with 28. In addition, Mario Chalmers' shooting provided a boost, as the point guard nailed three threes to finish with 15.

At the end of the day, the Heat were just too good for Indiana. They might have been Boshless, but LeBron and D-Wade are two of the five best players in the league in literally everybody's book, and they played like it the past two games, which was too much for Indiana to recover from. The pair scored the team's final 17 points to ice the game in the closing minutes.

It was a good season for the Pacers, and it's unfortunate that it had to end in the hands of a Flying Death Machine like Miami.

For more information on the Miami Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Indiana Pacers, head over to Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana.

Indiana Bros Can Sense Trouble

Time is running out for the Indiana Pacers. The Miami Heat lead 97-86 with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 6.

This was the reaction of the Indiana faithful after Roy Hibbert was whistled for a foul on LeBron James in the fourth.

Not that a pro sports blogger should ever be giving fashion advice, but we can't help but think these dudes swagger-jacked the personal style of two other famous bros.

The baby blue and orange suits are in the car, presumably.

Swagger Is Still Alive In Indiana

A week ago, the Indiana Pacers gave out thousands of "Gold Swagger" shirts for their playoff game against the Miami Heat. The whole color-coordination thing looked cool, but the use of "swagger" was questionable at best. It led Andrew Sharp to write a whole piece about "swagger" being dead, except in certain circumstances -- and the Pacers certainly did not qualify.

So what did Indiana do? Upped its game to not only use swagger, but to make it a hashtag. On a shirt. Given to Thursday night's crowd.

The kid in the Florida attire probably has the right idea. And the look on his face says it all.

Please, can we kill swagger already? Or has word not reached Indiana, home of spicy milk, mayo and extreme racing, yet?

Reminder: LeBron James Can Also Score In A Variety Of Ways

Game 6 between the Pacers and Heat has been all about Dwyane Wade, at least up to his point. Wade scored 26 in the first half and currently has 32 points on 21 shots. Wade has scored on bank shots, dunks, mid-range jumpers and driving lay-ins. He's really good.

You know who else is really good? LeBron James. Though James has a decidedly quiet 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting so far, he's still capable of making some pretty insane shots. Here's a running hook James hit in the second half:

The Heat lead the Pacers 86-78 with 8:00 minutes left in the fourth. Pacers star Danny Granger just picked up his fifth foul.

Mike Miller Is Heating Up As Miami Takes 10 Point Lead Into 4th Quarter

The Miami Heat scored nine straight points to end the third quarter on Thursday night and take a 79-69 lead over the Miami Heat with one quarter remaining in Game 6. It's the Heat's largest lead of the night. Miami owes its strong push at the end of the third to its role players, specifically Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers.

Chalmers hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to increase the lead to 10, and now has 15 points. Miller is 4-of-4 from three-point range. With LeBron James scoring a decidedly quiet 18 points thus far, the long-range shooting of Miami's lesser players have been huge.

Here's video of Miller hitting a deep three-pointer.

The Heat's biggest advantage so far comes in the turnover column: Indiana already has 17 turnovers, while Miami has just seven.

Wade has 32 points going into the fourth. David West leads the Pacers with 16 points. Teammates Danny Granger and George Hill each have 13 points through three quarters for Indy.

Only 4 Miami Heat Players Have Scored, But Game 6 Stays Tied At 66

As the fourth quarter nears in Game 6 between the Heat and the Pacers, only four Miami players have reached the scoresheet. When Dwyane Wade is feeling it the way he is tonight, though, it might not matter. With 3:52 left in the third quarter, the Heat and Pacers are tied, 66-66.

Wade has 32 points on 14-of-21 shooting for the Heat. LeBron James has 15 points, but hasn't attacked much and came up lame after a missed layup in the second quarter. Mario Chalmers (10 points) and Mike Miller (nine points) have provided the rest of the scoring for Miami.

Conversely, nine players have scored for the Pacers. Could these two teams be any more different? David West -- who HATES children -- has 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting for Indy. Danny Granger has 13 points, but just picked up his fourth foul. George Hill has 13 points and four assists for the Pacers.

The team that has won the rebounding battle has come out victorious in every game this series. Thus far, the Pacers are out-rebounding the Heat 27-16.

Cameraman Gets Plowed Again; Flamingo Still Waving

It's been a rough night for the cameraman seated along the baseline in Indiana. Earlier, he took a shot from LeBron James, taking the full weight of the Heat big man in the process.

In the third quarter, the same cameraman hit the deck again. This time it was a Pacer's fault.

Notice the flamingo still being waved proudly. And the man waving it is wearing a hard hat. Safety first, Mr. Flamingo.

David West Doesn't Care For Children, High-Fives

The Indiana Pacers are all business on Thursday night, heading into halftime with a 53-51 lead over the Miami Heat in Game 6. To that point: Pacers power forward David West is so focused on the task at hand that he couldn't even take a moment to give a group of children a high-five as he walked into the locker room.

Priceless. The children may be our future, but David West is living in the present. If the Pacers lose, their season ends tonight.

Pacers Crowd Has A New Flop-Based Nickname For Miami

With Dwayne Wade at the free throw line late in the second quarter, the crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse started a chant that the ESPN announcers -- and SB Nation's team of bloggers, for that matter -- had never heard before: "He's-A-Flopper."

The Indy faithful brought signs, too.

Points for the creativity, particularly on the chant, but after the way Wade imparted his will on the second quarter, the Pacers might need to try something different. Wade has 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting.

The Pacers lead 53-51 at the half.

Pacers-Heat Halftime Update: Indiana Barely Leading At Half, 53-51

The Pacers jumped out to an early 11 point-lead, with Danny Granger, David West and Roy Hibbert dominating a Heat front line without Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh. The pair combined for 35 first-half points on 15-19 shooting. The Pacers also murdered it on the boards, taking a 20-10 advantage over the Heat.

But Dwyane Wade wouldn't be quieted: He exploded with a 22-point second quarter to give the Heat a brief lead. Wade finished the first half with 26, carrying a team that hasn't had much in the way of other contributions: LeBron James' 11 has been somewhat quiet, and Mike Miller's three treys are really all that's happening off the bench.

A decent start from Indy, but they have a long way to go to stave off elimination: Wade obviously went off, but LeBron hasn't been amazing and the Heat are only down two.

For more information on the Miami Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Indiana Pacers, head over to Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana.

LeBron James Schadenfreude: Heat Forward Misses Breakaway Layup

Nothing gets the Internet's collective juices flowing quite like LeBron James failing in an embarrassing fashion. The second quarter of Game 6 between the Pacers and Heat provided one of these moments for the ages: James -- he of the thunderous slam dunks and unreal chase down blocks -- missed an open layup on a breakaway.

Here's the video:

And a GIF. Notice the flamingo:

You'd expect this in an SB Nation pickup game, but not from the league's three-time MVP.

Dwayne Wade Battles The Pacers Shot-For-Shot In 2nd Quarter

Roy Hibbert tied Game 6 on a shot that should warm Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's heart. Hibbert hit a hook shot in the paint to bring the Pacers back even with the Miami Heat at 41-41 with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter. The Heat closed an 11-point Indy lead early in the second led by Dwayne Wade, but Indy continues to pound the ball inside to their big men as the Heat fight the absence of Dexter Pittman Udonis Haslem, who was suspended for Game 6 after an excessively hard foul in Miami's Game 5 victory.

Wade has 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting thus far. What might be even more troubling for Indy is that Miami's role players are knocking down shots, or at least Mike Miller is. Miller is 3-for-3 with nine points, all three pointers.

Update: The Pacers are now on a 10-0 run and lead 45-41 with 4:15 remaining.

Did LeBron James Get Away With A Travel On This Dunk?

The Miami Heat grabbed a 34-30 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter of Game 6 on this LeBron James dunk. Count the steps: Did James travel?

Miami Heat Go On 13-2 Run, Storm Ahead Of Pacers In 2nd Quarter

The Miami Heat have the distinct ability to close large deficits in the matter of moments, and that's exactly what has happened in the second quarter of Game 6 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Heat trailed by as many as 11 points tonight, but are now on a 13-2 run. With nine minutes remaining in the half, the Heat hold a 34-30 lead over the Pacers.

Dwyane Wade has been excellent for the Heat, hitting a variety of shots in the opening minutes of the second that few men alive are capable of hitting. Wade has 14 points already on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor. LeBron James has nine points, but it's a quiet nine. He certainly hasn't hit the type of groove he was in earlier in the series.

The Heat really thrive when their role players are hitting threes. Mike Miller already has two three-pointers.

Pacers Dominate Paint, Boards To Grab A 28-21 Lead After 1st Quarter

The Indiana Pacers hold a 28-21 lead over the Miami Heat after the first quarter of play in Game 6. So far, the team who has won the rebounding battle has won every game. Through a quarter, Indiana has out-rebounded Miami 14-3.

With Miami starting LeBron James at power forward and Ronny Turiaf at center, the Heat are clearly vulnerable inside. The Pacers have made it a point early to attack the paint, and it's paying dividends. David West is 4-for-6 from the floor with nine points. Pacers center Roy Hibbert ends the first quarter with four points and five rebounds.

Danny Granger is 4-for-4 from the field for nine points. He's shown no lingering effects of the ankle injury that took him out of Indiana's Game 5 loss in Miami.

The Pacers have scored 22 of their 28 points in the paint.

Dwyane Wade Might Be Able To Fly

The Indiana Pacers are off to a quick start against the Miami Heat, but Dwyane Wade already has a couple ferocious slam dunks. None was prettier than this one in the first quarter.

The play symbolizes the aesthetic differences between these two teams fairly well. The Pacers grind and grind and grind. Miami flies.

'Pacer Power' Has Indiana Out To 19-12 Lead In 1st Quarter

Danny Granger is 3-for-3 from the field, David West is 4-for-6 and the Indiana Pacers have an early 19-12 lead over the Miami Heat in Game 6. As has been the case throughout the series, the crowd at Bankers LIfe Fieldhouse is decked out in yellow t-shirts reading "Gold Swagger."

Some of the Indiana faithful even brought signs.

As for Miami, Dwyane Wade has six points on 3-for-5 shooting and already has a pair of thunderous dunks. If Indiana wants to bring the series back to Miami for a Game 7, they'll have to eliminate the transition buckets the Heat thrive on.

Shane Battier's Airball Sums Up Miami's Start

As Game 6 gets underway between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, "Gold Swagger" is out in full effect at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers opened the game on a 10-2 run, with all five field goals coming inside the paint. With Miami starting LeBron James at power forward and Ronny Turiaf at center, it makes sense that Indiana would plan to attack the paint with David West and Roy Hibbert. So far, so good: The Pacers have hoisted six shots, five of them have gone in.

As for the Heat, they aren't shooting as well.

The Heat have started out 1-for-5 from the field.

Dwyane Wade Stole Russell Westbrook's Pants

Heat Vs. Pacers, Game 6 Preview: Breaking Down Miami's Suspensions

The Miami Heat will be a bit shorthanded as they try to win Game 6 and close out their 2012 NBA Playoffs second-round series against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Thanks to some hard fouls in Game 5, the Heat will be without forward Udonis Haslem and backup center Dexter Pittman. Haslem received a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul on Tyler Hansbrough, while Pittman was docked three games for elbowing Pacers backup Lance Stephenson in the head. Meanwhile, Hansbrough will play despite hitting Dwyane Wade in the head on a flagrant foul earlier in the second quarter of Game 5.

Did the NBA make the right call with the suspensions? Will the Heat still have enough to push through and emerge victorious in Game 6? SB Nation's Ben Golliver breaks it all down.

For more information on the Miami Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Indiana Pacers, head over to Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana.

NBA Playoffs 2012, Pacers Vs. Heat Game 6: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Pacers and Heat meet in Game 6 of their playoff series, with Miami looking to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.