LeBron James Finally Steps Up in the Clutch as Miami Heat Outlast Pacers in OT

With 10.6 seconds left in regulation and the Heat down 85-82, LeBron James was hit with a pass in the corner behind the three-point line from Dwyane Wade.

I'm sure you know what's coming next: LeBron passes the ball to some other member of the Heat like Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier or maybe even Dexter Pittman, right?

No, this time LeBron actually took the shot that we've all wanted him to take all season. He took the final shot of the game for the Heat, and he made it.

LeBron, we all knew you could do it. We're all just glad that you realized you could do it tonight against the Indiana Pacers.

For all of the LeBron haters who talk about his fourth-quarter issues, it should be known that he scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, which included his three-pointer that sent the game to overtime with just 10.6 seconds left on the clock.

In overtime, LeBron hit a big-time three-point with under two minutes left to bring the Heat within two. Then, he followed that up with an assist to Chris Bosh with just over a minute left to tie the game at 91-91.

With the game tied at 91, LeBron missed a go-ahead three-pointer with just under 30 seconds left. But luckily, Haslem grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball back out to James at the top of the three-point line.

Instead of putting up another shot after he had just come up short on his last attempt, LeBron made the mature and wise decision in passing the ball to Wade, who hit the eventual game-winner over Paul George with just 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

While people could pick apart the fact that LeBron passed up a chance at the game-winner, there's no doubt that LeBron fans finally saw what they wanted to out of "King James" when he stepped up and hit the shot to send the game to overtime.

LeBron is one of the smartest players in the game today, and he knows when it's time for him to step up and when it's time for him to let someone else step up. And tonight he proved just that.

A win like the Heat got Saturday night against the Pacers can be a real difference maker moving forward into the second half of the 2011-12 NBA season.

The win gives Miami confidence heading into a rough stretch of road games against the Eastern Conference elite in the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls.

While LeBron ended the night with 27 points, there's no doubt that three of those points that came with just 10.6 seconds left on the clock may very well be the three most important points of his season so far.

The Heat's big three combined for 68 points, and when they combine for that many, they are a very difficult team to beat. Just ask the Indiana Pacers.

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