Basketball gods shine on Heat's Shane Battier's long-range shots

Shane Battier, benched earlier in the play-offs, delivered a masterclass in three-point shooting for the Miami Heat, playing a vital role in their game seven win.

Battier made a postseason, career-high six three-point field goals as he scored 18 - his highest tally total in a play-off game in four years.

"Reports of my demise were premature," said a grinning Battier, who did not feature at all in the crunch game seven of the Eastern Conference final against the Indiana Pacers.

Averaging just four points per game in this year's play-offs, Battier was certainly not expected to have 28 minutes on court in game seven - more than he played in the first four games of the finals.

"The basketball gods - I believe in basketball gods and I felt they owed me big-time. I had a bunch of shots in San Antonio that went in and out," he said.

"I know I am a better shooter than my numbers put up. A lot goes into it - I thought I had some open looks in the last two games and when I have open looks, I expect to make them - and I did." Battier's performance mirrored that of Mike Millers in last season's title-clinching game when he scored seven three-pointers to sink the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The display left Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praising the perfect attitude Battier took to being left out of the action.