5 Eastern Conference contenders that never got past LeBron James

MIAMI, FL - MAY 26: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball as Paul George #24 of the Indiana Pacers defends during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena on May 26, 2014 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

2 of 5

4. Indiana Pacers

Rose’s Bulls were supposed to be the sparring partner for the Big Three Heat, but the Pacers were the team who ultimately became that. Indiana faced Miami in back-to-back seasons in the playoffs, as their suffocating defense and elite rim protection (thanks to Roy Hibbert) posed a challenge to the Heat’s pace-and-space tendencies.

As Paul George grew into more of a go-to scorer and wing stopper, the Pacers gained a player who could feasibly go toe-to-toe with LeBron James. Ultimately, as with every team on this list, the overall talent of James and his teammates won out.

The Pacers took the Heat to six games in the second round in 2012, in a series that is now remembered as the time James finally took the baton from Dwyane Wade and made Miami his team. Four of the contests were decided by single-digits, but James averaged 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists per game and overpowered Indiana.

The next year, Indiana jumped to third in the standings, meaning they didn’t face Miami until the conference finals, and again proved tough for the Heat to match up with. In a close seven-game series, three games were decided by single digits, and George came into his own. The third-year wing, fresh off his first All-Star game, put up 19.4 points, 5.1 assists and six rebounds per game to help the Pacers nearly topple the Heat. Eventually, Miami blew them out in Game 7, ending the George-Hibbert era in Indiana.

The lasting legacy is not only that the Pacers challenged the Heat so thoroughly, but particularly that Hibbert faded so quickly afterward. Miami drove the NBA toward a smaller, spaced-out style that had no room for Hibbert — or these Pacers.