Paul George scored 29 points to lift the Indiana Pacers past the Miami Heat 87-77.
The Heat's LeBron James had 22 points and 10 rebounds to give tough completion to George and the Pacers, but could not make his team victorious.
"It's a chance for me to see where I'm at, going against one of the best, if not, the best in the league," the Associated Press quoted George as saying about James. "Another challenge to myself to go at LeBron. I definitely wanted to battle him."
George also chipped in 11 rebounds and made 12 shots out of 27 attempts from the floor as the Pacers limited the Heat to a season-low 77.
George has performed well as the main scorer for Indiana after Danny Granger was forced to sit out because of a knee injury.
James appreciated George for shouldering new responsibilities and bringing good results for the Pacers, who have won 11 games in their last 14.
"I see him playing with a lot of confidence and a lot of opportunities," James said. "The simple fact that Danny Granger is hurt has created this opportunity for him to show what he can do.
"He's doing everything. He was a good player last year, but we weren't able to see it because he wasn't a featured player."
For the Pacers, David West added 14 points and chipped in 11 rebounds, while Lance Stephenson had 13 points.
For the Heat, Dwyane Wade top scored with 30 points and five rebounds, while Chris Bosh finished with 14 points and five rebounds.
Indiana out-rebounded the Heat 55-36 and the Pacers shot 33 out of 91 attempts from the field, while Miami had 28-of-68.
"That was a big emphasis tonight," George said. "Miami is a team that, for as good as they are, they struggle with rebounding.
"We knew that coming in. We knew that we had to get the boards. And we're bigger. We're a big team."
The Pacers outscored the Heat 20-19 in the first quarter. Wade hit a 3-pointer and scored 16 points in the second quarter to help Miami add 23 points, while the Pacers had 22. Both the teams entered the second half with the scores tied at 42.
The third quarter proved decisive. With the help of Stephenson's three-pointer the Pacers outshined the Heat 25-15 to take a 10-point lead. In the fiercely fought fourth quarter both the teams scored 20 points apiece and the Pacers won the game by 10 points.
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