NBA Playoffs 2013: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers, Game 5: Preview, TV Schedule, Live Stream and More; Lebron James Takes on Roy Hibbert

If you're a basketball fan, it doesn't get much better than this--LeBron James and the world champion Miami Heat in a pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals Thursday against the dominant Roy Hibbert and the surging Indiana Pacers.

With the series tied at two games apiece, the defending champion Heat have not been tested like this all season or through the playoffs, where they dispatched the Bucks and Bulls in fairly quick fashion. However, the Pacers' size and strength in their frontline have been working to their favor as they have taken control in the paint and managed to take two games from the Heat, including a Game 2 win on the road at the American Airlines Arena, where Game 5 will be played Thursday night.

Indiana does not have the star power that Miami boasts in James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh or the scoring punch, but they have been keeping pace with the flashier Heat through a stingy defense and control of the rebounding boards. Meanwhile, Wade continues to deal with a bad knee while Bosh has fallen off-pace in the series with only 14.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in the first four games of the series.

Meanwhile, Hibbert has exploded in the playoffs, netting 22.4 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his last five games as the 26-year-old center out of Georgetown has risen to prominence as a new star. And with a talented cast that includes Hibbert, All-Star Paul George, George Hill and Lance Stephenson, the Pacers are thinking about revenge after Miami bounced them in last year's semifinals en route to taking the title.

Yet, Miami still has the reigning league MVP in James and the home court advantage after taking Game 3 in Indianapolis, and the Heat have thrived in pressure situations, as they showed last year when they bounced back from a 3-2 deficit against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals to take the series in seven games.

Now, with the winner moving to within one win from the NBA Finals and a match-up with the San Antonio Spurs, the question remains as to whether the star power and experience of the defending champion Miami or the size, youth and athleticism of Indiana will be the defining factor in Game 5.

Latinos Post breaks down the key match-ups for this game:

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

The 6'9", 250-pound West has been a beast at the four for the Pacers, averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds for the series and giving fits to James and the Heat on both ends of the floor. Haslam scored 17 points in Sunday's Game 3 but fell off in Game 4 with only 6 points. Miami doesn't need Haslam to be a force on offense, but his hard-nosed defense will be essential in attempts to slow down West.

Advantage: Pacers

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

This is a pivotal match-up. George was scoring at a red-hot pace in the first two games of the series, where he scored 20-plus points, but he has struggled in the last two games, shooting a combined 7-for-20 at home. Perhaps George will be able to turn it up when he returns to Miami, but James, who is averaging 28.0 points in the series, will be looking to make a statement of his own. In a pivotal Game 6 against the Celtics in the Eastern Finals last year, James scored 38 points to power the Heat to victory. This is still James' game to lose, and whether he can rise to the occasion again may be the difference in the series, and the season, for the Heat.

Advantage: Heat

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

Dominant. Hibbert has been nothing short of dominant in the playoffs thus far, and he has been the Pacers' MVP so far, averaging 222.8 points and 12.0 rebounds in the series with 1.0 blocks. He owns the paint right now and he is giving the Heat all kinds of trouble. Bosh, however, has been a shell of his normal All-Star self, averaging only 14.0 points and having sustained an ankle injury in Game 4 that limited his production. Whether or not Bosh can bounce back may be a key in the Heat's chances of winning on Thursday.

Advantage: Pacers

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

Wade should normally have the edge, but his balky knee has been making the former 2006 NBA Finals MVP a shell of his former self, averaging only 16.8 points on 48 percent shooting, good but a little off from his superstar-like numbers that fans have come to expect of him. Stephenson, meanwhile is coming off an impressive night where he scored 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He's peaking at the right moment and coming up big when it counts.

Advantage: Even

Point Guard: George Hill, Pacers vs. Mario Chalmers

Hill have been on point for the Pacers, with 15.3 points and 4.5 assists, and after a tepid Game 1, he has stepped up for Indiana with clutch scoring and athletic prowess. Chalmers has a knack for coming through when least expected, as he proved with a huge Game 4 where he scored 20 points, but to win tonight, he will have to find the mark beyond the three-point line and be the viable fourth option on offense for Miami.

Advantage: Even

TV Schedule

Game 4 kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30, 2013 on TNT.

Live Stream

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