That’s my prevailing thought the morning after he and his Cavaliers teammates defeated the Celtics in Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.
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They finished the regular season ranked 29th in defence and it seemed unlikely that they would make the finals again with their weakest squad in the last four years since their hometown star returned from Miami.
If anyone can lift these Cavs to a fourth straight finals trip, it is James, statistically the greatest player ever in elimination games and subjectively simply the greatest player ever. (4 points). Still no word on Kevin Love.
Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Boston 31 (Horford 9), Cleveland 44 (James 11). It means James now sits only two games behind Michael Jordan for the most 30-point playoff games.
You could practically write an entire novel about LeBron’s performance in Game 6, it was that special. “Championship pedigree. Giving it his all”. The Cavaliers took full advantage of that lull, too, mounting a 17-7 run to close out the game and roll to the eight-point win. He scored 46 points and made consecutive 3-pointers to ice the game, which had the internet in awe. After playing a full 82-game regular season, and logging monster minutes throughout the playoffs, it would not be surprising if he were worn out.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said the plan was to wear James out.
Of the late three-pointers that doomed his team, Stevens said there was little more the Celtics could have done.
“Great defense by Tatum”. LeBron up to 20 points already and has yet to rest.
George Hill added 20 points, and Jeff Green 14 for the Cavs.
The Cavs didn’t miss Love much, after he banged heads with Tatum in the first quarter and was ruled out for the night at halftime.
The help arrived and the Cavaliers are still alive. “We needed him to be big and he was big”.
The Cavs held a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter before Boston got within a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
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After a few moments he rose gingerly and continued. “He just fought through everything tonight”. Terry Rozier had his best game of the series with 28 points, including 6-of-10 on 3s, and Jaylen Brown put in 27, the Celtics’ starting backcourt combining to shoot 21-of-34. Brown lit it up with 15 first-quarter points, converting a pull-up jumper with 8.3 seconds remaining that put them ahead 25-20. “I promise”, he said, drawing laughs from media members. The one thing we have to all understand is we’re not going to play flawless. They have to be exhausted, and that’s no way to go into a series against Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the Warriors, who blew Cleveland away in five games a year ago, or James Harden and a Rockets team that can be every bit as potent on one end and lock teams down on the other.
