For the first time in a series that could have overwhelmed them from the start, the Indiana Pacers looked lost in Game 7 against the Miami Heat on Monday night. The defending champions rolled to yet another NBA Finals with a 99-76 win at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The Pacers led 21-19 after the first quarter, but had nine turnovers in the opening frame as the Heat attempted 28 shots. Miami shot 28.6 percent in the first, but stepped up to hit 45.8 percent of their attempts over the remainder of the game.

Miami took over in the second quarter. They outscored the Pacers 33-16 while going 10-for-17 from the field, including 4-for-8 from deep, and a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line. Indiana committed six turnovers, giving them 15 for the first half, and after dominating the boards in Game 6 they corralled just four rebounds in 12 minutes. They didn't rebound any of their nine missed shots in the period.

Indiana didn't immediately fold after the half, trading buckets with Miami for a stretch, but they couldn't get closer than 12 and the lead ballooned to 76-55 heading into the fourth. They simply couldn't score enough and the struggles were exacerbated by foul trouble for the first time in the series.

Paul George and Roy Hibbert were both limited by fouls in the second half, forcing Frank Vogel into some tough decisions. It's a little early to disrespect this season by looking at the offseason, but adding to the bench (in conjunction with the supposed return of Danny Granger) will do wonders for Indiana's ability to push to the next level and win more often coming from behind.

A majority of the talk heading into Game 7 centered on whether LeBron James would have to take over -- or if Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would produce enough for the Heat to survive a significant scare from the Pacers.

Wade did enjoy his best game of the series -- 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting and nine rebounds -- but ultimately the LeBron didn't need any help. James had an effortless 32 points and eight rebounds on 17 shots. He went 15-for-16 from the line as Erik Spoelstra focused on blitzing the paint consistently for the first time in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bosh struggled yet again, going 3-for-13 from the field, but he had eight rebounds and presented enough of a threat to help spread out Indiana's defense.

The Pacers were strong in terms of field goal defense, holding Miami to 39.1 percent shooting, but didn't work hard enough on the defensive glass (15 offensive rebounds for the Heat). Indiana was also crushed at the foul line as Miami was the aggressor from the opening tip. The Heat were a tremendous 29-for-32 from the line.

Paul George Shrinks

Just 48 minutes from what would have been just the second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, Paul George needed to at least battle LeBron James on the game's biggest stage. Instead, the first-time All-Star had easily his worst performance of the playoffs when his team needed him most.

George, who fouled out, went 2-for-9 from the field (seven points) with seven rebounds and four assists. He had just two points and an assist in the second half.

He was dominated by LeBron, which happens to the best of this generation, and must once again look to a series loss to the Heat for ways to improve. If he is as hungry as he seems, George should watch Game 7 on repeat.

Moving to his natural position of shooting guard, if Danny Granger does play another game for the Pacers, and adding some strength to his upper body are relatively easy fixes that would work wonders. He is such a great defender and a few additional pounds will only help him try to contain the LeBrons of the league.

George should also continue to work on both his jump shot and ball-handling skills.

Turnovers

The Pacers are far from polished offensively, but 21 turnovers are obviously far too many. Miscues on that end of the floor only help the opposing team get high-percentage shots, especially when they are of the live-ball variety. Indiana has an elite half-court defense and they want to employ it as much as possible.

There has been some talk about the Pacers looking for an additional ball-handler after George Hill struggled under any sort of pressure in the postseason. That seems like a knee-jerk reaction, given Hill's size and the commitment they made to him last summer. He could have played better, especially in this series, but he's 27 and Indiana doesn't need him to be an elite point guard. Also, if he was used in a three-guard lineup alongside George and someone else, he'll be undersized and that would remove Indiana's vital size advantage in the shrinking NBA.

David West led the club with six turnovers on Monday night and while not all where his fault, the offense itself struggled with ball control because Miami did such a great job defensively. For a majority of the first half, and part of the third, the Pacers had a difficult time simply initiating the offense inside 30 feet.

Where They Won, They Lost

The recipe for success was simple for the Pacers through the first six games, dominant in the paint and on the glass and at the very least they'd have a chance to win in the final moments.

Miami hit Indiana where it hurt in the deciding game, drawing even in points in the paint. The Heat led 28-16 in that category through three quarters before the Pacers were able to scuff it up a bit with the game decided. The defending-champions also had a +7 rebounding edge, including a 15-8 advantage on the offensive glass. Miami outscored Indiana 17-4 in second-chance points.

Help For LeBron

LeBron didn't need much help, but did have more support with the season on the line. Wade had his first 20+ point performance since Game 2 of Miami's first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Norris Cole and Ray Allen also provided a nice punch off the bench, allowing the Heat to increase their lead in the second quarter when LeBron got a short rest. The duo combined for 18 points on just 10 shots. Allen's 3-for-5 performance from deep was especially encouraging with the NBA Finals approaching. He shot 26.8 percent from three in his previous 11 playoff games.

The Indiana Pacers took the floor for Game 6 against the Miami Heat on Saturday night with a simple goal. Win and force a deciding seventh game. Lose and the season would be over.

In a role reversal of what took place two nights earlier, the Pacers dominated the third quarter to take control of the game and remain alive. They outscored the Heat 29-15 in the third period, taking a 68-55 edge in the fourth.

Searching for an answer, Erik Spoelstra put Mike Miller into the game and we nearly witnessed another out-of-nowhere Mike Miller Game. He forced a turnover and then hit back-to-back threes to bring Miami to within 70-64 with 8:11 left.

David West, slowed by an upper respiratory infection, hit a 17-foot jumper about a minute later and the Heat never again got as close. After Miami used a 13-2 run to trim Indiana's lead to six, the Pacers responded with a 9-0 spurt to seal the 90-77 victory.

This series has been one for the ages, with just a single blowout and more than a handful of big-time playoff moments. As good as the first six games have been -- the outcomes no longer matter. It will all be on the line in Miami on Monday night.

The Heat were without Chris Andersen, who was suspended for a hit on Tyler Hansbrough in Game 5, but received good production from Joel Anthony. He has trouble finishing offensively, but had eight rebounds and three blocks. The problem? He didn't have a single rebound in 15 second-half minutes.

Miami might have missed Andersen's energy though, as LeBron James and Norris Cole were the only players on the team with any sense of urgency. They were 24 minutes from the NBA Finals, but seemed to lean on the fact that they had a Game 7 coming at AmericanAirlines Arena.

West was a step slow as you might expect. He was 0-for-7 in the first half, but waved off Frank Vogel when the coach looked to pull him. He had eight rebounds despite his struggles in the first two quarters and finished with 11 points and 14 boards.

The common refrain is that the Heat have all the pressure on their shoulders in Game 7, but that is not the case. The Pacers are very aware that they are one game away from the NBA Finals and that's as big a burden as anything else.

Hill Responds, Stephenson Up-And-Down

The Pacers needed a good game from George Hill and he responded with 16 points and six assists. He was much more aggressive than in Game 5, after which he admitted he was sort of just watching his teammates make plays on the road.

Lance Stephenson made an impact on the game, but still isn't scoring. In the last two games, he has scored a total of eight points on 3-for-11 shooting. He did a lot of little things on Saturday night though, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing four assists. I wrote after Game 5 that Indiana would need around 20 points and 10 rebounds from the duo to force a seventh game.

Hill and Stephenson combined for 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and a steal (six turnovers). The stakes are now higher and Frank Vogel is going to need both players to score to win again down in South Beach.

Hibbert's Growth

He has been talked about a lot, but I haven't really dedicated much space to Roy Hibbert in my coverage of this series. He was phenomenal again in a must-win game, leading the way with 24 points, 11 rebounds and a blocked shot. Hibbert is such an intimidating presence in the paint that he isn't getting a chance to reject as many shots as he did during the regular season. His impact is much greater than his numbers in that respect, as it has been all season.

Hibbert grabbed five offensive rebounds, helping the Pacers outscore the Heat 14-5 in second-chance points. Another great night from the field (11-for-20) allowed the Pacers to win the paint battle 44-22 despite all missed layups and dunks they suffered in the first half.

It was obvious heading into the series that Hibbert was the key to Indiana's success, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that was willing to predict he would be this consistently dominant. After signing a huge contract last summer, his numbers improved from poor to decent to good as the regular season progressed.

Hibbert took his game to another level in early rounds against the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, but has shifted to an undiscovered gear against the defending champions. He is averaging 22.8 points and 10.8 rebounds on 55% shooting against Miami's smaller frontline.

He has always had this in him, but his affable personality seemed to prevent him from putting his talent on full display. He's almost unrecognizable from the player the Pacers acquired in 2008 and deserves credit and acclaim for all the hard work he has put in over the last five years.

Miami Cavaliers

Reggie Miller had some fun on the TNT broadcast when he referred to the Heat as the Miami Cavaliers, but in reality LeBron James may have to put the team on his back (like his days back with Cleveland) if they are going to face the San Antonio Spurs and for an opportunity to win their second consecutive NBA title.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have floated in-and-out of this series and were historically bad in Game 6. They combined to shoot 4-for-19 from the field and had 15 points and six rebounds between them. Ernie Johnson reported during the TNT postgame show that it was the lowest scoring total for the pair since they became teammates prior to the 2010 season.

Overall, Miami struggled to score. They scored 77 points on 36.1 percent shooting (a season low, regular or playoffs) after putting up 70 points in the first half alone last Sunday. If you remove LeBron's shooting line (10-for-21), the Heat shot 31.4. Oddly enough they made six of their first seven three-point attempts and finished 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) from deep. That means they shot 29.6 percent on two-pointers.

Aside from the first quarter when Miami caught fire from long range, the Pacers did a good job of closing out on shooters and clogged the paint enough to prevent penetration until the fourth quarter when LeBron decided it was time to put his head down and try to at least earn a trip to the foul line. There will be more of that in Game 7 as both teams look to impose their will.

There are many different theories about how to win in the NBA, but everyone would agree that consistency is a critical key to success.

Success for the Indiana Pacers seems to be more specific, especially in their series against the Miami Heat. The difference has been Lance Stephenson; they win when he plays well and lose when he doesn’t. It’s been this way the throughout the playoffs where Stephenson has shown the world he has potential to be a really good player. Stephenson has a PER of 16.4 in Pacers' wins during the playoffs and 4.3 in losses.

Stephenson is big, quick, confident and skilled. He’s also the definition of inconsistent and that’s not something the Pacers can afford as Stephenson has become a very important piece of the team.

If the Pacers have any chance to beat the Head and advance to the NBA Finals, Stephenson is going to need to find a way to play consistent basketball. It’s something Frank Vogel spoke about after their Game 4 victory in which Stephenson had his best game of the series.

"When he's bad, we typically struggle. When he's good, we're pretty darn good,” Vogel said. “I mean, that's the simplest way to put it, and it's very accurate. He's the barometer.”

The problem with the Pacers’ barometer is that when Stephenson is bad, well, he’s terrible. He’s terrible and talkative and nether is helping the team. It worked against the team in Game 5, as LeBron James used Stephenson’s struggles, chatter and his team’s slow half to get himself going and lead the Heat to the win.

"As a competitor, you love challenges, and Lance is one of those guys who likes to talk some," James said. "And I'm for it, too. I really don't start it, but if it gets started, then I love to do it. It's cool."

But the Pacers are a confident team and Stephenson’s confidence is part of what makes them who they are. He just needs to find a way to make sure his performance is matching up with his talking, or his words don’t mean anything. In fact, they’ll come to define his game in the eyes of fans and analysis that don’t understand why a guy that’s playing so bad has so much to say.

It’s something many young players go through, especially those second-tier guys that do have enough talent to impact a game. This is what Stephenson must learn, and he must learn it quick. His ability to rebound from a bad game, and follow up on a good one, will be the key to the Pacers extending the series to a Game 7.

Follow @JRudolphSports