NBA Playoffs 2013: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers, Game 6: Preview, TV Schedule, Live Stream and More; Lebron James Eyes Finals, Paul George Looks to Force Game 7

After LeBron James delivered once again for the world champion Miami Heat in a pivotal Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals Thursday, the Heat have their sights set on a third straight trip to the NBA Finals while the Indiana Pacers look to stay alive in a do-or-die Game 6 Saturday in Indianapolis.

James, the reigning NBA MVP, had a huge night when the struggling Heat corps needed him most, hitting 13-of-26 shots from the field for 30 points--16 of which came in a critical third quarter-as Miami topped the Pacers 90-79 at American Airlines Arena.

The Heat are now up 3 games to 2 and find themselves needing one more win to secure their third straight NBA Finals appearance in the "Big Three" era of James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh that began in the summer of 2010, when all three signed to Miami.

Indiana had a 46-40 edge early in the third and after winning Game 4 to tie the series at 2-all, but Miami rallied back to go on an unstoppable 30-10 run over the next 11 minutes of the second half, James hitting 7 of 10 from the field as he led the way for the Heat.

Now, with their backs against the wall, Indiana will look to rebound at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where a rowdy home crowd will have their back. The Pacers will seek to use their superior size and strength advantage against the more explosive Heat offense, but Miami has proven that they can win on the Pacers' home turf, having taken Game 3 last week in Indianapolis.

Yet, the undersized Heat will not have an easy victory with Wade's knee issues still plaguing the former NBA Finals MVP. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, Heat center Chris "Birdman" Anderson, a key defender and shooter and one of the best players Miami has for them in the series, has been suspended following his involvement in a scuffle in Game 5 with the Pacers' Tyler Hansbrough.

The Heat have won each of the last closeout games in the 2011 and 2012 Eastern finals, but the Pacers would love nothing more than to push the series back to Miami on Monday for a series-ending Game 7. Can the Heat make it three trips to the Finals in a row, or will Indiana force the series to a Game 7?

Latinos Post breaks down the key match-ups for Game 6 on Saturday:

Match-ups

Power forward: David West, Pacers vs. Udonis Haslam, Heat

West scored 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting Thursday in Game 5, and has been big for the Pacers all series. They will need him to continue to be a big cog for Indiana on both ends of the floor. Haslam picked a great time to come alive on offense for Miami with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting in Game 5, and that same production could help the Heat lock up another trip to the Finals. But where they need him most is on defense in order to slow down West.

Advantage: Pacers

Small Forward: Paul George, Pacers vs. LeBron James, Heat

George was good, really good, in Game 5, scoring 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. Yet James was much better, scoring 16 of 30 points in the third quarter of Miami's win. This is a battle of stars and these two will pull out all the stops in their bids to take Game 6 on Saturday. James has the big game experience by the truckloads, but George has stepped up in this postseason and could very well power the Pacers to a Game 7.

Advantage: Heat

Center: Roy Hibbert, Pacers vs. Chris Bosh, Heat

Hibbert has been a terror in the playoffs, and remained that way in Game 6 when he scored 22 points. By contrast, Bosh has been off for much of the series, especially since his ankle injury in Game 4. This does not bode well coming back to Indiana, especially with the Heat's offense being most successful when the Heat share the ball. Bosh will have to find a way to be a pain for Hibbert on defense while creating other ways to contribute on offense.

Advantage: Pacers

Shooting Guard: Lance Stephenson, Pacers vs Dwayne Wade, Heat

Stephenson and Wade both struggled in Game 6, Wade scoring only 10 points while Stephenson, who was on fire with 20 points in Game 4, shot only 2-for-7 in Game 5 for four points. Both players can make a difference down the stretch for their teams, but Stephenson has health on his side; Wade does not, as the perennial All-Star guard still has a bad knee to deal with. Whether he can overcome that or not may be the key to the Heat's chances of closing out the series.

Advantage: Even

Point Guard: George Hill, Pacers vs. Mario Chalmers

After back-to-back 19-point games in the series, Hill had a forgettable Game 5, scoring only one point despite 37 minutes of action. That will not do in a Game 6 where it's win or go home. Chalmers scored 2-of-4 three pointers for 12 points, and has a knack for coming up for surprise big game performances.   

Advantage: Even

TV Schedule

Game 6 kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1, 2013 on TNT.

Live Stream

Live stream coverage of the game can be seen on TNT Overtime.