LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers keep run alive for another round with Game 7 win over Indiana Pacers

Jay Asser 00:21 30/04/2018
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  • LeBron James has still not lost in the first round of the playoffs.

    LeBron James still hasn’t a lost a first-round playoff series and the Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have to worry just yet that their cornerstone has played his final game for the franchise.

    As expected, James rose to the occasion in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, producing 45 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to push Cleveland to a 105-101 win and avoid the first opening-round exit of his career.

    The nervous energy at Quicken Loans Arena was palpable as the Cleveland faithful were aware they may have been watching James’ final game in a Cavaliers uniform, with the superstar able to opt out his contract and hit free agency in the summer.

    A first-round exit would have surely hurt Cleveland’s chances to retain the face of their franchise, but after surviving a laboring series with Indiana, the clock on James’ final game has reset.

    The Cavaliers will now advance to meet the East’ top seed, the Toronto Raptors, in a rematch of last year’s conference semi-finals, which Cleveland won comfortably with a sweep.

    Both teams have significantly changed, however, and James will have his work cut out to keep the Cavaliers afloat once again.

    Against the Pacers, it took a monumental effort from James in Game 7, along with contributions from unlikely suspects, to stay alive.

    James was unstoppable as a scorer, shooting 16-of-25 from the field, 2-of-3 from long range and 11-of-15 from the free throw line. But Cleveland still needed Tristan Thompson to come out of nowhere with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, as well as George Hill adding 11 off the bench.

    Thompson had played a total of 23 minutes through the first six games in the series, while Hill didn’t enter Game 7 until the third quarter after missing the previous three contests with a back injury.

    The Cavaliers as a whole also did more than just survive when James went to the bench for a brief spell from the end of the third quarter until 8:25 left in the fourth, extending the lead from two points to eight.

    That stretch ended up being crucial as the Cleveland maintained their cushion until the final buzzer.

    What was good enough for now may not be enough going forward, but the Cavaliers, as they’ve so often done, will cross that bridge when they get there.

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