Tag: LeBron James (Page 11 of 85)

On the heels of his (dare I say majestic?) performance in Game 5 — 33 points (5-of-7 from 3PT range), seven rebounds and four assists — which helped to finish off the aging and injured Celtics, LeBron had this to say (ESPN):

“I knew deep down in my heart, as much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland and as much as I loved home, I knew I couldn’t do it by myself against that team,” James said.

Why, LeBron? Why must you say stupid s#!t like this? You just helped to upend the team that has best represented the East for the last three seasons and then you have to turn around and slam your former teammates for not being good enough when you played Boston in the past.

It’s not even that you said they weren’t good enough. You said, “I couldn’t do it by myself” as if your teammates in Cleveland didn’t even show up for those series against the Celtics, like you were out there playing one on five. (No jokes about Mike Brown’s offense, please.)

LeBron was terrific down the stretch in Game 5, going 4-for-4 from the field (including 2-for-2 from 3PT range) and one assist in the final 3:43. Who knows, had he brought some of that game when he was with the Cavs, they may have won.

It also helped that the Celtics’ bench looked a little like an emergency room, with multiple players working out knee or ankle injuries while others lay prone on the floor, icing their backs.

In the waning moments, the Heat had the look of a team that just won the title, not one that won a Conference Semifinal. Maybe they’ll be able to put that emotion behind them to focus on the Bulls (or the Hawks, if they pull the upset), but that was quite the celebration for a team that has only won two playoff series.

I guess we should expect nothing less from the organization that held a celebration fit only for a title late last summer.

LeBron James scored 24 points over the final 16:35, hitting 8-of-12 shots, which helped the Heat turn a nip-and-tuck game into a snoozer down the stretch. (Miami won, 102-91.) LeBron was so sharp in the third and fourth quarters that it makes me wonder if he was extra-motivated after finding out that he finished third in this year’s MVP voting. For their part, Dwyane Wade added 28 points and eight boards, while Chris Bosh chipped in with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The Heat were +10 in made free throws, which was the difference in the game. Otherwise, the numbers were pretty even. That’s not an indictment of the officiating — the Heat simply attack the rim more (and better) than Boston, which is at its core a jumpshooting team. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce combined to go 15-of-38 (39%) from the field for 36 points. That’s not going to get it done.