LeBron James has all the answers to help Cleveland Cavaliers even the Eastern Conference Finals

Jay Asser 20:34 22/05/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • LeBron James scored 44 points in Cleveland's Game 4 win.

    Give LeBron James enough time and he’ll usually figure things out.

    Despite a slow start to the Eastern Conference Finals, James and the Cleveland Cavaliers evened up the series with a 111-102 win in Game 4, shifting all the pressure back onto the Boston Celtics.

    It won’t go down as one of the most memorable playoff performances of his storied career, but James delivered a methodical 44 points on 17-of-28 shooting and – outside of his seven turnovers – looked in complete control.

    From attacking off the dribble to feasting in the post, James was aggressive in going to the rim against mismatches. He finished with 13 baskets in the paint, the second-most of his playoff career, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

    “He’s the best in the game at evaluating the court and figuring out what he wants and where he wants it,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

    “The thing about it is that you just have to battle. You just have to make it as hard as possible, because he’s going to find a matchup that he ultimately wants.”

    James also set another noteworthy record in the win, hitting a 22-foot jumper midway through the second quarter to give him his 2,357th playoff basket, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in postseason history.

    James already ranked first all-time in playoff points (6,668), playoff minutes (9,736) and playoff steals (410).

    “To know where I come from, small city 35 miles south of here, and to hear I’m in the same category or talked about and jumping these greats in the playoffs, it’s pretty cool,” James said.

    “You hear the scoring, the field goals made, and for a kid that really doesn’t care much about scoring.”

    The series now heads back to Boston, where the Celtics have been a different team than on the road in the playoffs.

    Through nine games at TD Garden, they’ve yet to drop a game and have outscored opponents by an average margin of 11.3 points. On the road, they’re just 1-6 and been outscored by 12.0 points per game.

    After Boston and Cleveland both held serve at home, the Celtics still hold an advantage with two of remaining three games hosted in their building.

    But with James in a groove and the rest of the Cavaliers following his lead, Game 5 on Wednesday (UAE: 04:30 +1) will be a challenge for a young Boston side eager to respond.

    “It’s the best two out of three to go to the NBA Finals. Doesn’t get better than that,” Stevens said. “Ultimately, anybody that didn’t think this was going to be tough, I mean, everything is tough.

    “In this deal, it’s a blast to have to grit your teeth, get up off the mat and go after it again.”

    Recommended