So much for cruise control.
What was easy early for the Miami Heat on Saturday again turned into heavy labor against the Indiana Pacers.
A 20-point second-quarter lead and an 18-point edge at the half resulted in the same challenge as the previous two games of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series _ translating closing time into winning time.
Mission accomplished, with a 124-115 victory at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex producing a 3-0 lead in a series that could be over as soon as Monday's 6:30 p.m. resumption.
A Malcom Brogdon 3-pointer with 2:21 drew the Pacers within 114-112, with the Heat countering with a pair of Bam Adebayo free throws with 1:39 to play for a 116-112 lead.
A Heat defensive stand followed, as did the sixth and final foul for the Pacers' Victor Oladipo, with Jimmy Butler then draining a pair of free throws _ his 17th and 18th attempts of the night _ for a 118-112 lead.
"We played great in the first half," Heat guard Goran Dragic said. "I'm happy we stayed with our plan and didn't hang our heads."
It again was an across-the-board effort for the Heat, with Butler scoring 27, Dragic 24, Tyler Herro 20 and Adebayo 22.
"It's just the right mix of players," Dragic said.
The Pacers also got their share of impressive numbers, with Brogdon closing with 34 points and 14 assists, Myles Turner with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and T.J. Warren with 23 points and Oladipo with 20.
