Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 4 Postgame Grades and Analysis

The Indiana Pacers stole the momentum back from the Miami Heat in this series with a 99-92 win. 

LeBron James fouled out with just under one minute left in the game on a very questionable call, and that was really the turning point in Game 4. 

The Heat didn't break the 70-point mark—where they were at halftime in Game 3—until under 11:30 in the fourth quarter. The Pacers' defense wasn't necessarily the difference-maker; the Heat just consistently hesitated on open shots, which led to a rough shooting night—ending Game 4 shooting just 39 percent from the floor.

With that being said, Roy Hibbert absolutely owned the Heat with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. His impressive post play was a major reason why the Pacers outscored the Heat 52-30 in the paint.

Lance Stephenson also stepped up for Indiana, outplaying Dwyane Wade with 20 points and five rebounds while shooting 9-of-15 from the floor.

A once-seven-game series is now a best-of-three series that is headed to South Beach. Game 5 is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, and it's a game you absolutely don't want to miss. 

With LeBron fouling out, in essence letting his team down, it's safe to say that he'll be back in Game 5 with a serious level of intensity. That's going to be fun to watch. 

Point Guards

Mario Chalmers, Heat

Mario Chalmers was running the show through the midway point of the third quarter, leading the Heat with 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

Unfortunately, that's when Chalmers decided to pick up his fourth personal foul, earning himself some unwanted time on the bench.

After he picked up that fourth foul, Chalmers scored just four points and went on to commit five fouls.

If Chalmers could've managed to stay on the floor instead of hitting the bench to keep from getting more fouls, the Heat could've pulled out the win. Not only was Chalmers the Heat's second-best weapon in Game 4, he was also one of the only Heat players who was attacking the basket.

It's a shame that the Heat wasted a solid game from Chalmers, but who knows, maybe this is a sign of things to come for the young point guard.

Overall Grade: B

George Hill, Pacers

George Hill may have had a more balanced game than Chalmers with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds, but he shot just 4-of-13 from the field. 

What helped Hill continue to impact the game, even when he was struggling from the field, was his ability to get to the basket and to the foul line.

Hill shot 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, which included a pair of free throws that helped seal the Heat's fate once LeBron James fouled out.

We're watching Hill's continued maturation, and a major sign of that is his ability to impact the game even when he's struggling on either side of the ball. Solid, yet inefficient game from Hill.

Overall Grade: B

Shooting Guards

Dwyane Wade, Heat

Dwyane Wade's 16 points, six assists and three rebounds look decent on paper.

But when you consider that he shot just 5-of-15 from the field, his production takes a different form. 

Wade just isn't the same player that he was throughout the regular season when he averaged over 20 points per game. Instead of attacking the basket, Wade is settling for fadeaway jumpers and shooting long-range jumpers late in the shot clock.

The Heat need Wade to be better, more efficient and more consistent offensively. 

It also wouldn't hurt if he figured out how to keep Lance Stephenson from dropping 20 points on him.

Overall Grade: C+

Lance Stephenson, Pacers

I never thought I'd type the following words, but Lance Stephenson outplayed Dwyane Wade, and in a pivotal playoff game for that matter.

In addition to his rainbow three-ball from the corner to end the third quarter that put the Pacers up by seven, Stephenson had a productive and surprisingly efficient game. 

Stephenson scored 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting, and he committed just one turnover. 

There's a fine line between playing aggressively and playing out of control, and while Stephenson was just out of control in Game 3, he found his way back to the aggressive side of things in Game 4. 

It will be interesting to see how Stephenson follows up one of the best playoff performances of his career.

Overall Grade: B+

Small Forwards

LeBron James, Heat

LeBron James fouled out with 56.0 seconds left in the game on an absolutely atrocious call on a screen he set up top for Dwyane Wade. It was only the second time in his career that he's fouled out of a playoff game.

While you certainly can't blame the refs for all of LeBron's six fouls, it's rare that you see a call like that made with under a minute left in the game.

It couldn't have come at a worse time for the Heat, as it was just after LeBron had sunk a huge three-pointer to bring the Heat within just two points.

With all of that being said, LeBron still had a productive game with 24 points, six rebounds (two offensive), five assists and three blocks. He didn't dominate on the block like he did in Game 3, and it was only because the Pacers doubled down on him and forced him away from the basket when he was in the post.

Smart defense by the Pacers, a solid performance by LeBron, but the fact that he fouled out in the clutch will certainly fuel him for the rest of the series.

Overall Grade: B

Paul George, Pacers

Game 4 wasn't pretty for Paul George, as he scored 12 points on 4-of-10 from the field. 

While he grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists, he also committed an awful five turnovers, which helped the Heat stay competitive throughout the night.

His defense on LeBron was helped out by the Pacers' decision to double LeBron every time he touched it in the paint. But when he was in isolation with LeBron, George's youth showed. He was unable to hang with LeBron on a consistent basis.

George benefited from Lance Stephenson having a huge game, but that most likely isn't going to happen on a consistent basis in the next few games of this series.

It wasn't pretty for George, but he helped the Pacers get the job done, and in the end that's all that matters.

Overall Grade: B-

Power Forwards

Udonis Haslem, Heat

Game 4 wasn't as kind to Udonis Haslem as Game 3 was, as he ended the night with just six points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. 

He did shoot an impressive 3-of-5 from the floor, but early on the Heat would've benefited from him being a bit more aggressive offensively.

Haslem was a train wreck on defense against the Pacers' interior offense, and his lack of defensive intensity was a major reason why the Pacers outscored the Heat 50-32 in the paint. 

In a pivotal Game 5, the Heat will need Haslem to be aggressive on both sides of the ball, because it's clear that he has the power to be a real difference-maker.

Overall Grade: C+

David West, Pacers

LeBron James stepped up and started putting David West on lockdown during the second half, and that was impressive to see.

But West didn't let LeBron keep him from impacting the game throughout, as he ended with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while also grabbing 12 rebounds (four offensive).

The most important part of West's game was his dominance on defense against anyone the Heat threw at him, especially Chris Andersen. 

The Bird Man's production was an important part of the Heat's Game 3 win, but West didn't let him get going on offense when they were both on the court. That was a big X-factor in the game.

It will be interesting to see if the Heat can find an answer to West's aggressive and dominant play, because if they can't, their offseason might begin before the 2013 NBA Finals.

Overall Grade: B+

Centers

Chris Bosh, Heat

It was a rather awful night for Chris Bosh, as he ended with just seven points on 1-of-6 shooting and only three rebounds in 30 minutes of action.

While he tweaked his ankle in the second half, there's no excuse for Bosh's inability to even slow Roy Hibbert down in the paint. I know that Hibbert has a decisive size advantage over Bosh, but Hibbert simply pushed him around all game long, making it look like Bosh was just another average player.

The Heat will not beat the Pacers if Bosh continues to play like he did in Game 4; there's just no way around that fact. He has to protect the glass more, and if he can't do that, he at least has to score 15-plus points.

Awful night from Bosh, and honestly, it's simply inexcusable at this point in the series.

Overall Grade: D

Roy Hibbert, Pacers

The Heat's answer for Roy Hibbert in Game 4 was to just let him score, and that's exactly what he did.

He led the Pacers with an impressive 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. And he also managed to grab 12 rebounds (six offensive), which killed the Heat down the stretch. 

Every time the Pacers needed a big basket, the Pacers went to Hibbert and he answered the call by sky-hooking the Heat to death. 

Surprisingly, Hibbert wasn't as big of a threat on defense as he usually is, but the Pacers didn't need him to be because he was holding it down on the other end.

During his postgame interview, Hibbert said, "We're not going anywhere." Well Roy, you're about to go to South Beach with quite a shot at keeping the Heat from the NBA Finals. If Hibbert plays like he did in Game 4, Indiana is going to be very hard to beat over the next two or three games. 

Overall Grade: A

Sixth Men

Ray Allen, SG Heat 

Just looking at his basic stats, you'd think Ray Allen had quite a game, as he ended with 11 points and seven rebounds. 

But when you consider that he shot 4-of-13 from the field and 2-of-7 from beyond the arc, his performance comes into a more realistic perspective. 

When the Heat signed Allen this past offseason, I'm sure they didn't think he'd be shooting below 40 percent from the field in the playoffs, but that's what he's doing lately. 

If that isn't enough, Allen's defense is very underwhelming. He's a step behind everyone he defends, including Lance Stephenson, and he simply just doesn't have the athleticism he used to utilize to gain an advantage over his opponents.

If Allen doesn't step up in Game 5 and shoot with some efficiency, the Heat's chances of winning this series are slim to none.

Overall Grade: D+

D.J. Augustin, PG Pacers 

Aside from his three assists, there are goose eggs across the board for D.J. Augustin, and that wasn't an issue for the Pacers. 

Augustin was opportunistic for the Pacers, not shooting, but instead deferring the offense to teammates who were in better positions to score. 

It's amazing how the Pacers can beat the Heat with the first guy off their bench scoring zero points in 18 minutes. 

Overall Grade: C

Benches

Miami Heat Bench

The Heat's bench didn't show up in Game 4. Allen wasn't alone in his lack of effective production for the Heat. 

While Chris Andersen still hasn't missed a single field goal all series long, that's only true because he didn't attempt a field goal in Game 4. Defensively speaking, Andersen was nonexistent against Roy Hibbert in the paint, and that's why he didn't have any kind of significant impact on the game.

It's clear that Andersen is the X-factor for the Heat because he brings intensity and tenacity off the bench. Well, at least he usually does. 

Unfortunately for the Heat, Game 4 wasn't kind to their second unit, and because of their weak play, this series is now a best-of-three series.

Overall Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers Bench

The Pacers just aren't a deep team, and that lack of depth was on display in Game 4.

That lack of depth didn't hold them back, though, and that makes the Pacers' win that much more impressive. 

Sam Young, Tyler Hansbrough and Ian Mahinmi combined for 11 points, and while that wasn't a lot, it was enough to get the job done. 

With this series going back to South Beach on Thursday, the Pacers have to feel confident tied 2-2, but they also should be concerned that their bench isn't providing them with significant production. 

Overall Grade: C+