INDIANAPOLIS — Apparently, defending Carmelo Anthony just isn’t the same as trying to stop LeBron James.
“Melo is quick,” says Paul George, “but LeBron has more control of his body.”
George, the Pacers’ small forward, has emerged as the rising young star of the NBA playoffs, with his strong defensive performance against Anthony in the second round and for his outstanding play in Games 1 and 2 against the Miami Heat. George even drew a compliment from James after the Pacers tied the series on Friday.
But praise and potential don’t count for much at this time of the year. George and the Pacers may be viewed as the up-and-coming team in the Eastern Conference, but James and the Heat are in control of the Eastern Conference finals. Miami holds a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 on Tuesday, which very well could be Indiana’s last home game of the season.
The Pacers need to win three of four games to eliminate the defending champions — which, in theory, is not impossible. But it’s improbable. Miami rarely gets beaten. The Heat is 47-4 over its last 51 games and has won 23 of its last 24 road games.
“I feel like we played Heat basketball,” Dwyane Wade said on Monday. “Our mentality is to come out and play another good game in Game 4. We have to mirror (Sunday) night’s game.”
Miami arguably played its most complete game of the postseason, while James showed why George is not quite in his league. Miami ran its offense through James in the low post, where he overwhelmed George, one of the league’s top defensive players. James finished with 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Heat was a plus-22 during James’ 42 minutes while Indiana was a minus-17 when George, who shot 3-for-10, was on the floor. George’s five turnovers matched Miami’s total.
Nam H. Huh/AP
James (r.) has shown George a mean post-up game.
“We left (George) on an island a bit too much (against James),” Pacers forward David West said. “We didn’t lock in the way we had been all year. We can’t just put it all on PG to score and make play after play after play.
“We feed off our defense. We weren’t able to get any turnovers and get him some run-outs, get him some easy stuff in transition, which he’s been able to do throughout the year.”
Miami scored 70 first-half points after scoring a total of 84 points in the first halves of the series’ first two games. The Heat was more determined and it started with James, whose two turnovers in the final minute of Game 2 were just as costly as the two turnovers Anthony committed in the final five minutes of the Knicks’ Game 6 loss to Indiana.
Miami’s plan in Game 3 was to attack George in the paint and make Pacers center Roy Hibbert have to defend Chris Bosh on the perimeter. Like most legendary players, James uses the offseason to improve and/or add another weapon to his game.
His size, strength, quickness and passing ability make him ideal for the low post.
“I’m much better than I was two, three years ago,” he said. “If I have to spend all day, all game in the post I can do that.”
It’s reached the point where there is little James can’t do.
“It’s pick your poison with me,” he said.
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