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Commentary, news, analysis and reader-driven discussions focusing on this year's NBA playoffs.
But how else does one accurately describe what LeBron James accomplished in defeating the Pistons 109-107 in double overtime in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals? Jaw-dropping? Twenty-five consecutive points, including every Cleveland point in both OTs attest to that. Heart-pounding? Could any fan not feel that as James seemingly hit every shot imaginable, from fearless drives to the rim to fadeaway three-pointers in front of the Detroit bench? Legendary? Scoring 48 points, grabbing nine rebounds, handing out seven assists and making two steals against one of the NBA's best defenses on its home floor may be the most memorable playoff performance since Michael Jordan dropped 63 on the Celtics in 1986. No matter the words, James' Game 5 may be the sort of stuff that saves leagues. You can almost hear the advertisements now: "Can the best player in the world beat the best team in the world? The Finals ... Thursday at 9." To complete that journey to meet the Spurs in San Antonio, though, LeBron will need a little more imagination from his coaching staff. After the game coach Mike Brown said he "could not believe [LeBron] scored 29 of the last 30 points," which might have a little more credence if he had called a play for someone other than James down the stretch. On the rare occasions someone such as Sasha Pavlovic did touch the ball, they reacted as if the ball was covered in grease. Don't get us wrong: The Cavs won't win this series with Pavlovic shooting the ball, but they will need him, Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to at least handle the ball a little down the stretch if they hope to close out the Pistons, even in Cleveland. And as they proved in a most uncharacteristically competent third quarter, LeBron's teammates are capable of carrying some of the weight. Outscoring the Pistons for the first time all series in the period, the Cavs notched 19 points by sticking to basics –- pounding the ball inside. Of the seven shots Cleveland converted in the third, five came in the paint. Not only was that enough to distance the Cavs from the 14.5-point third-quarter average they had forged in the first four games of the series, it was enough to carry LeBron through a 2-of-6 shooting period to his late-game turn as the hero. Important as his teammates are, Game 5 was LeBron's turn to validate all of the expectations and all of the privileges heaped upon him at the young age of 22. From the cover of Sports Illustrated and nationally televised games as a high schooler, to the controversial Hummer he got before the 2003 draft, to the royal nickname, to the carte blanche he has within the Cavaliers' franchise, to the ho-hum first half of the current season, LeBron has generated almost as many critics as fans. But how many 22-year-olds have ever taken their team this far with this much responsibility? Kobe? Nope. Garnett? Nope. Jordan? Heck, he was busy losing in the first round to the Bucks when he was 22. LeBron has a chance to surpass them all. Yes, the Spurs may well give the King his royal comeuppance, should Cleveland reach the Finals; but for Cleveland even to be in this position in LeBron's fourth year was beyond the dreams of most in a city accustomed to disappointment. Should LeBron get just a suggestion of help Saturday night in Cleveland, the city –- and the league –- will drift off into la-la land with smiles on their faces.
posted by SI.com | View comments |
Comments:The most interesting thing mentioned here was LeBron's ability to save a league. He really needs to salvage this post season, which, save a few Warriors and Suns games has been really awful, he's the only hope to overthrow the ultra boring boys from Texas. I'll jump on that bandwagon.
The cavs haven't won yet
So where are all the Lebron critics now...and more importantly, where is Detroit's defensive plan to stop Lebron?
That's three straight against Detroit, and the first two wins were not solo LBJ efforts.
His teammates and coaches are not incapable of helping - as the article implies. This was a case of going with what works until the other team can stop it. Cleveland did, and Detroit couldn't. Heres another cliche, 'wow'. That was simply a remarkable performance. However, it still needs to be said that they need to get more consistent scoring from the supporting cast for this to become anything other than a one man travelling circus.
Lebron was amazing. He is the closing the NBA had since MJ. Lebron may go down as the best player to ever play. If I had to choose between Kobe or Lebron, I would not hesitate to say Lebron. Go Cavs. It would be out of this world if we look further down and if Lebron wills his team past the Spurs. WOW.
It is easy for Lebron James to be fearless when driving to the hoop because he has the NBA Referees on his side. How can the rough and tough defense of the Pistons stop countless drives if there will always be a foul called. This game ruined the NBA for me, i will never respect a game where you have to lay down a red carpet for every drive to the hoop. There's no point in watching a game where we have to cradle baby james in our arms so we can have yet another Michael Jordan to adore and establish more revenue for the league.
You have to give credit to Lebron, who after tantalizing with flashes of brilliance finally delivered greatness under the blinding glare of playoff expectations. It might have been nicer if he had gone to the basket more -- realistically, he's not going to hit his jumpers like that on a consistent basis -- but tonight he earned quite a bit of the adulation he has already been accorded.
It's also true that the rest of the Cavs couldn't buy a bucket down the stretch. That said, as dominant as James was, the same performance that saw him acclaimed a hero would have gotten Kobe branded a selfish prima donna. Obviously winning covers a multitude of sins, but I do wonder about the (in)consistency of the expectations we have for our stars. Yeah that fool was ballin' - I haven't seen somthing like that in the playoffs for a long time and even then - the way he dominated the end was ridiculous.
If the Cavs can put any semblence of a team around him look out - Now this is what the playoffs are all about, Lebron at his best, the beginning of the legend starts now, you are all witness, even all of you sports writers who are all critisizing, all hail the King LBJ-23.
This series is very exciting. Every game in the series has been VERY close, and although many detroit and cleveland fans might argue about how the refs have made critical mistakes and "decided" the games, I don't think that is true. In this game, the numerous fouls helped both sides. It helped the cavs stay close in the first half, but it also helped the pistons in the fourth quarter. The first few games were called very loose, but the games were still close. Game five was called very tight, and we get a double OT instant classic. Not only did we get to see an amazing performance by Lebron, but the game itself was heart-pounding. There was something around 20 ties and lead changes EACH!!! And it wasn't just trading baskets all the time... both sides had large (at least by this series' standards) leads. Lots of runs, lots of defense, lots of clutch shots. This is definitely THE defining game of this year's playoffs... so far.
LeBron is awesome. Can't wait till the next game!
Unbelievable! I saw it-witness. And I still can't believe it.
It'll be one of the greatest single-game playoff performances in the history of the NBA-Lebron's performance. You can watch another 20 years of basketball and may never see a player make such an array of difficult shots, given the circumstances of the series, have the court awareness, "taking over" as needed in a game that "swung" the momentum to Cleveland as a legitimate Finals contender every year hence forward. Congratulations Lebron "King" James. You've earned all those endorsement deals now and the name "King." No more "monkey" on the back. I saw Magic play for seasons, Kareem, Hakeem Michael Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, Bird. This is totally clutch domination-Lebron=team player with the "winning" instinct. You're on your way to join those mentioned names and never looking back! A Defining Moment of Lebron James -ADJ definitely the most impressive performance I've ever seen, I mean at 22 and to show the resiliance to will his team to victory was amazing, and he was exhausted. He definitely shut the critics up about his inability to shut a team out or his non killer instinct he's grown 5 seasons in just this series, it's over cleveland in 6 over san antonio
I have seen a lot of Lebron games since he came into the league. I know live in California an root for them from afar. The people in cleveland know that he is capable of a game like tonight on any given night. When you see him in person many times, you realize that he has potential to be the greatest of all time. There were many nights that were not on TV nor discussed outside of cleveland when he was magnificent. What people saw tonight was a magnificent player surrounded by 9 other excellent and decent players. I knew when Veriejo got hacked and Lebron was mad that the game was going to be fabulous. When he gets ticked off, he steps up lays it down. All hail the King. Cavs 3, pistons 2, who was figuring that........
Is James' surrounding cast better or worse than Kobe's?
god met with lebron tonight and handed him the keys to the kingdom....
Save the league? This could take all the credibility out of it, no one scores 25 straight against anything resembling a defense.
Let him try it against any European coached team, even in that tighter refereeing system he would have problems launching two consecutive decent shots. Wake up people.
James had one good game, and 1/2 a good game tonigh ( he was terrible in first half ). Airball, missed 3 freethrows in a row. This was a giveaway by Detroit, makes no difference what James did on the offensive end, it was Detroit's defense that lost the game. 109 - 107 in 2 overtimes? Any decent team should score 140 in 58 minutes. For the record. Ginobili scored 24 in a row earlier this season, KJ scored 42, 43, 44, three games in a row in playoffs against Houston, MJ averaged over 40 for the entire series against Phoenix, not some crap team like these Pistons and no hand checking rules. James still sucks, and you ( sportswritesrs ) are just desperate to write about anything. Legend like MJ???. What are you talking about, guy has been pathetic these playoffs with the exception of about 60 miutes, and still hasn't won anything. One of the greatest acts of sheer will power I've seen in my years watching the NBA. I won't dare say the "M" word for a comparison, but I haven't seen someone with the ability to personally lift an entire team since the other number 23. As for the comment about fouls and that stifling Pistons defense, sometimes a player is simply too good to be covered. The referees weren't hitting fade away jump shots over three defenders when the season depended on it, Lebron was.
"There's no point in watching a game where we have to cradle baby james in our arms so we can have yet another Michael Jordan to adore and establish more revenue for the league."
Look at the comedy in this statement....like he said, LBJ is saving this LEAGUE...establishing more revenue for the league is GREAT! It allows for the salary cap to get raised every so often so the PISTONS can maybe someday SIGN someone of LeBron's caliber. LeBron is saving the Pistons one way or another; it's a win-win. I bet you if Detroit comes back and wins and goes to the Finals, the ratings will be worse IN COMPARISON to the very likely possibility of the Cavs matching up against the Spurs...pure theater It's amazing to listen to these cry-baby Detroit fans. I've never seen a team or it's fans whine so much. Face it, what Lebron did tonight is historic, driven by skill, talent, and a sure will to win. He shredded Detroit's defense and any hope for winning this series. Detroit, stop whining abourt referees and lack of calls--it goes both ways--game one and two was a Detroit stolen hack-fest-the series should have been over. Tonight was the "Legend of Lebron". Deal with it and move on.
I think it's ridiculous that Detroit fans keep complaining about the refs. No doubt it was a tightly called game, but free throw attempts were 43-39 in favor of the Pistons and three Cavaliers fouled it. Don't discredit a great performance with your whining. Saturday is going to be a tough game. The veteran Pistons aren't just going to roll over.
Lebron will keep things interesting in Cleveland but they aren't taking the trophy home with Mike Brown as head coach. Seriously, does anyone really take Brown seriously? If he's still there in 4 years and they haven't won a championship (and I don't think they will under his tenure), whatever he says to Lebron will go in one ear and out the other.
Hype, hype, hype. Good try at getting us all to believe that James is actually going to be BETTER than Jordan because Jordan at the same age zzzzzz... But it reaks of wishful thinking. And you know what? It wouldn't make any difference anyway.
The NBA's heydey is over and, believe me, a boring, over-marketed hypertalent isn't going to bring it back, even if he did turn out to be better than Jordan. Don't forget, it was Bird and Magic (two guys with loads of personality going head to head) that got people's attention and Jordan who capitalised on it. I'm not so quick to annoint anyone. Lebron played a great game but I vividly remember seeing a 4th year Penny Hardaway playing w/ Danny Shayes,Derek Strong in the starting lineup versus the Miami Heat score 42 and 41 in back to back playoff games. He scored 16 straight in one game and also had 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 4 blocks to go along with those 41 points.
why is everyone so excited about 2007's playoffs? Aside from a few Warriors and Suns' wins, this year's playoffs are a drag compared to last year's. And if the Spurs do win the championship, Stern should hand out the MVP award to Robert Horry's bottom...u guys sure Horry never played hockey? He delivered one heck of a hip check.
A 4th year Penny Hardaway played the #1 Defense (Miami Heat) in the '97 playoffs and scored 42 in game 3 and 41 in game 4. Still the only played to have back to back 40 point playoff games vs a Pat Riley coached team. He scored 16 straight in Game 3. His stats were remarkable:
Game 3: 16/30FG, 9/10FT, 42pts Game 4: 12/23FG, 13/16FT, 41pts, 7rbs, 4asts, 4 stls, 3 blks Funny how no one remembers this yet Lebron's performance was the best of all time? To the critic above who said this game ruined the NBA for him... we didn't watch the same game apparently... calls are made and not made... once LeBron had his head taken off by Wallace and no call was made... and the Pistons had a few phantom calls in the lane award them free throws... either way if you can watch something this historic...something no one has ever done not Jordan, not Magic, not Bird, not Oscar, not anyone who has ever played... and be turned off by the NBA... good riddance
Without wanting to take away from LeBron's performance, I don't agree with much of the talk of this being the greatest playoff performance of all time. Many are saying it is. Others mention Jordan's effort in the 80's. I'm not sure why no one brings up Magic Johnson's 1980 finals winning game. He was a 20 year old rookie playing out of position in an away game, and he scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists - winning the NBA finals. Neither James nor Jordan's performances stack up to that.
This article and its comments make it feel like Dwyane Wade 2006 never happened. Maybe I missed something, but what LeBron did yesterday and what he might do in the Finals if he gets there is pretty similar to Wade's last year heroics. Or?
Lebron James is one helluva player. The CAVS need him so do the league. While they still have to win one of two games which for all intent and purposes will be over after the QUICKENS. Arena game, the whole team must still provide the necessary support and artillery. That 5th game will come only once in a blue moon. What it did is to formally put the throne on the King Lebron's head.
Basketball is still a team game. Angelo Sonny Lopez, Philippines You have to give it to LeBron, that was one of the best games in the playoff in a while. That was Jordon like stuff. Go Cavs.
Are you kidding me? How can lebron only get charged with 3 fouls with all the mugging and mauling he's involved with. What is the definition of traveling for this guy? Someone in his way? Run them over or hook them with the elbow and travel right past them. There is more reality and less staging in a WWF production than what you are seeing in these playoffs.
Paul - I think you forgot about a 21 year old player that responded to some pressure once upon a time. Earvin Johnson, Jr. played all 5 positions with team captain (Kareem) injured and on the bench to lead his team to the title in 1980. That's one of the reasons I like to watch LeBron. He reminds of Magic.
What is destroying the league is the hype and spin. The league and media are so desperate that every time Lebron passes gas there needs to be speculation if he will save the league. It is like the slam dunk contest on TNT. After every single dunk the commentators say "wow, now the slam dunk contest is back!" Let them play, let us decide if we like it.
He an amazing game against a tough defensive team. They were in the exact same boat as last year. Question is.... Can they close out Detroit this year?
Mike Brown is the worst coach ever. Lebron has the team on the cusp of the finals despite no symmetry or sense of team ball on either side. He's that good. That said, Poppovich will OWN Brown in the finals.
wade had shaq, who does lebron have....Ilguaskas??? Gooden???
Dwade is the closest thing to MJ. I still take DWade, he only averaged 36 in the NBA finals last year
LEBRON ...the most gifted player, at the age of 22, that's a given ....you can bet that even michael jordan would nod ..yes..on that statement
All you Pistons fans, stop crying! I'll be the first to agree that Sideshow Bob is a flopper, but he didn't run his neck into McDyess' forearm on purpose. I think Dyess watches too match WWE.
As for the "bias" shown by the NBA refs, I seem to remember 27 fouls called on Detroit as opposed to 36 on Cleveland. That's 33% more fouls, not to mention 3 DQ's (Ilgauskas, Varejao, Gibson). While I won't crown LeBron King yet, he has once again shown that he is an amazing, spectacular player and that he might just have what it takes to become the one of the greatest ever. Now let's all stop whining and start enjoying this series for what it is: a great, unbelievably close, grind-it-out series between two of the East's best teams. amazing!!
Look.....the Lebron is the closet thing to magic!! we have not seen a player to evelate his team likes this since magic arrived and won a RING. The only twist is he is not easily bullied. we have seen garnett, mcarady, bryant, and jordan take time to develop. Lebron is already pushing the limits! Lebron will be the next Big O! dominant! he will at some junctre average a triple double for a season.
Yes Lebron scored 40 something points in the Eastern Conference. But will that be enough to stop the likes of the Spurs in western conference I think not. The Pistons have been a sub-par team throughout the season battling for supremacy against the likes of Chicago, Washington, and The Cavs. The Western Conference is a different story, and Lebron I am sorry you are not a one man wrecking crew in the West.
Lebron is great no doubt but the CAVS will get blasted by the spurs because Duncan will dominate and his teamates will carry the game for him at various times.
An awesome game by LeBron, but he is not MJ. Im so sick and tired of the MJ comparison when there is none. Just let him be Lebron. He plays a different position and there skills are totally different. MJ is the greatest player ever. This kid hasnt even scratch is legacy and you already want him to be the greatest. The NBA basically jumped on the back of LeBron and now is the time to ride him stronger than ever. LeBron cant save the NBA. Just let the beautiful game of basketball play out itself.
I can't wait to see what haters are gonna say bout this. There is absolutely no flaw in LeBron's game when he decides to attack the rim. Even the damn Pistons have no answer...
LeBron can score 100 pts in each game this playoffs, but can he win the championship? we'll wait and see as the boring but efficient Spurs are waiting in the wings. Defeating them will elevate himself to basketball's demigods.
WIL VAN ZYL
I never used the word King with Lebron James but finally now I concede that was one of the greatest performances ever in the NBA last night. King James can truly be crowned a King now. Dwyane Wade was actually on a team when he won his championship. LeBron just has 11 other guys trying to pass themselves off as teammates. Give Lebron Shaq and its an instant dynasty.
The man did what ever it took to win that game.I am thankful I was able to see it.
To the comment that LeBron gets all the calls, what game were you watching? Did you see Wallance hack LeBron at the end of the 4th quarter, no call. Detroit then reeled off 6-8 points. And to the Wade comment. No one is knocking Wade, he is a great player and played unbelieveable last year, but no one that I have seen has been as dominate as LeBron was last night in that game. He could do no wrong whether driving to the bucket or hitting a 3 falling away. If you had a choice between Wade or LeBron, you have to take LeBron.
I watched that game and knew at the start of the 4th quarter that it was very likely i could be watching this game on ESPN classic in 15 years. Who could have known how right that feeling would en up being?! As soon as the game ended, I thought "Lebron is better than D-Wade, I haven't seen that since Jordan."
So where's Dirk? The Mavs? Suns? Steve Nash???? Kobe??? Where are these sure fire MVP's of the West during the playoffs? All watching Lebron. Get used to it.
The game was great, however we all know how this is going to end. Cavs or Pistons, we will be crowing the San Antonio Spurs when it's all said and done.
He is not the best player in the world. He does not LIKELY surpass Jordan's playoff performances.
You are just writing an article to invite Pro and Anti-Lebron debate. Let's wait for the win. I hope Lebron gets to jam it in Bruce Bowen's face...
Not bad for a guy who wasn't good enough to make the All NBA first team.
Didn't magic johnson win his first champonship as a rookie. Also larry bird went to the championshp. Its funny how lebron was overlooked as the best player in the game to kobe is being reconsdered. I have to admit i think the lakers as a team have just as much talent after there stars. Also i thnk jordan was just to greedy in the beginning of his career and let's not forget he did three peat twice. Let's just look at lebron as lebron and the league now. Leave the comparisons of whose better at the end of his career. Lebron is definitely to me more unstoppable than kobe just because hes so strong and can drive to the basket with ease and not because the referees are cheating. I mean really do you not remember how many calls Jordan got.
So where are the potential MVP's of the west? Dirk? Home...Nash? Hangin in Canada. The Mavs? Suns? Kobe? What do they all have in common? Watching Lebron carry his team to the finals. Get used to it.
What a man child! I cant beileve this guy is only 22. You have scene Jordan pull these kinds of wins out countless times. Im curious to see if this was a shooting fluke for Lebron or can he continue to shoot like this with the game on the line?
In response to a few previous comments..wow! No, D-Wade never did anything like this. He had three times the supporting cast that LeBron did...are you forgeting the likes of Shaq, Payton, Mourning, Williams, Haslem, Wlaker, etc. Cleveland has some good players, but beyond Big Z, they are all under 25!! Every one of em! Pistons...I respect what you have accomplished but Wow...you blew it. Mr, Big Shot? How about Mr. Just Lost A Ton Of Free Agency Money. Gauran-sheed? How about winey, gripey you know what. I'm sorry Deeee-troit Fans, you are all witnesses to what we have noticed for 4 years now. And he was throned in your own Palace. All hail King James.
James had a tremendous game, but it was just one game, how many times have we seen kobe take over, how many times Tim Ducan has score 18, 19 points in the last quarter, not to mention that in the finals that Chicago won over Phoenix, MJ scored all chicago points in the 4th except the final basket made by Paxon, and the stage was THE FINALS....
Dont be comparing LeBron to Michael just yet. 0 down and 6 to go right?
So where is Nash? MVP Dirk? Kobe? The Mavs? Suns? Lakers? All of these powerhouses of the west are doing the same thing...Watching Lebron carry the Cavs to the Finals. GO LBJ.
All these lebron haters/critics talk about him getting calls. Lets talk about Daniel Gibson and Larry Hughes not being able to breathe on Chauncey Billups last night. Or we could talk about Gibson contesting that Hamilton jumper down the stretch when the phantom whistle blew. Or we could talk about on the other end of the floor, Billups spears Varejao and theres no call. The referees havent decided a single game yet in this series, even Game 2. My advice for all these haters, sit back and become a witness in Lebron's congregation. Hallelluah!
It saddens me that even after yesterday, people are still whining about the refs (and trying to find another way to give the pistons an excuse), this series has been officiated the same for both teams, each side can argue a number of differnt things... but the one thing that canbe agreed on is this LEBRON JAMES is the best overall player in the league
What an awesome game all the way around , by both teams . In response to the comment "it's easy for LeBron to be fearless driving to the hoop because he has the NBA ref's on his side". Unless you are 12 year old spoiled brat , you should be embarrassed making that comment .
I think you need to slow down there sparky... Seriously, "The Greatest Playoff Performance Ever"? Not even close, lets face it if the Cavs lose the series, it becomes pretty much nothing... The Greatest Player in the World? Are you serious? He has been avarage through most of the playoffs... Ive seen Manute Bol hit 6 threes in one game, no one handed him a 3pt contest title... Mugsy Boges blocked Patrick Ewing, and he's wasn't given a Defensive player of the year award... Magic carried a laker team at 21 to a title, Reggie Miller burried every playoff team in the league at one time or another, MJ was simply MJ, Kobe droped 50 on Raja Bell last year, Nash just handed out 24 assists, and face it you called the Mav's the best team in the world all year, and they got bounced in the first round... Make up your mind seriously.
Hat's off to LeBron. He is one of the few stars in the NBA who actually earns his salary. He's a great talent that one day may be counted among the best ever and when you stop playing team defense against him, which the Pistons did, he can take over a game. But remember the Spurs? I wonder if Bruce Bowen would let him waltz to the basket like that. Maybe we should wait to crown him "king" until he earns it.
That was a great performance. He made a lot of shots I haven't seen anyone make in a long time. I'm a Detroit fan, to take this for a grain of salt, but it's disappointing to see it sullied by such (get ready) poor officiating. The double standard has ceased just being the stuff of myth and legend. It's real and apparent. You can see it when big guys try to defend Shaq and he barrels through the paint like a bull in Pampalona, and you can see it when Lebron pours it on and snakes past a defender or takes a contested shot. You can just hear the whistle and, if you don't, you really have to wonder if the refs all dropped their whistles at the same time. And perhaps most sadly, you can see it when a bunch of guys get frozen because they now are afraid to step in front of a guy that seems to get nearly all the calls when he has the ball.
Lebron's a great player and the Cavs have a pretty good supporting cast. But these double standards really bum me out. 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, eight blocks, in a Finals closer. Must be too boring for this sportswriter to remember.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/boxscores/2003/06/15/14744_boxscore.html How can you say the Cavs have no chance against the SPURS? What is the Cavs record against the SPURS this season? 2-0? ya, okay, what about the last 2 yrs? 3-1? okay... tell me how you can say there is no chance.. Additionally, the CAVS had 36 fould while detroit had 27 fouls! How is this lopsided in favor of the Cavs? We also had 3 players - Ilgauskas, Gooden and Gibson - foul out! Does anyone remember the last two noncalls in Game 2? You pistons fans need to stop complaining about the whistles... you have no right . The Cavs could have beaten the Pistons all 5 times in the ECF. Just admit that the Pistons have been outplayed.
Just another example of the nba and it's hand's off policy toward superstars. If you really believe the pistons let him drive the lane time after time by choice you're sadly mistaken. They had no choice - it's either that or get called for a foul. The nba has become unwatchable.
To the 'man' that said Lebron couldn't do that against European coached defense...you're out of your mind. The kids 6'8, 240lbs, and is faster, more athletic, and stronger than anyone on the Pistons. Basically anyone in the league that doesn't play the 5. And some zone defense in Europe with some 220 lb soft shooting 7 footer in the middle is going to stop him? Wake up. The Pistons have been one of the best defensive teams in the best basketball league in the world for more than a few years now. Lebron defeated traps, zones, doubles, triples, and quadruple teams. He was just on fire. Give him his due...you're probably just mad that you're short and French.
Lebron getting the foul call everytime he drove to the hoop? Did that poster even watch the game? Probably more fouls that were not called than non fouls that were called. 5:30 left in the game when Lebron is hit, grabbed and tossed and no call. Looked to be the turning point against the Cavs. Lebron took over from there for one of the best performences ever.
Lack of D by the Pistons, I think not. Lebron was just unstoppable. Degree of difficulty on his shots - mostly 10's. I disagree that LBJ has the refs on his side. In fact he gets more non-calls than a lot of people BECAUSE of the hype that surrounds him, not to mention he can whine when he perceives or received a foul and doesn't get the call. Bottom line, LeBron shined last night and no one else on the court could keep up.
Too bad few people were watching or are even interested in the NBA anynmore. I hear absolutely no buzz about the playoffs at the office, on the golf course or in any social gatherings. Interest seems to be very low, except for the cities in the playoffs. Perhaps the Association should chnage its name to the CBA...the City Basketball Association. Tony
If Kobe played in the East the Cavs wouldn't even be around right now.........
An amazing display of professional basketball at its best. Now the other members of the Cavs need to step up, score points, make plays, and contribute. One man does not make a season. As a Cleveland Fan living in Michigan, I'm still a Buckeye! Go Cavs!
Lebron James perfomance last night at the palace was phenominal. He single handedly took over the game. If he gets a little more help tommorow he and the cavs will close out the pistons and move on to the spurs, which the cavs are
2-0 against. Lebron may go down as a legend at the age of twenty-two. As if he already isn't. Lebron is the closest thing we have to MJ in the NBA today, Kobe has gone fishin. What an awesome performance by one of the greats. So fun to watch him play and make the unmakeable shots.
Too bad that the rest of his team won't step up and help him out. They looked pathetic in the great light of Lebron. Hopefully they will step it up in their home court. Go Cavs! Before we all start talking up the Spurs and how the Cavaliers have no chance...
All the "experts" picked New Jersey over Cleveland. All the "experts" picked Detroit over Cleveland. And let's not forget the Cavaliers are 2-0 against the Spurs this year, holding them WAY below their season average in points. In fact, they held them to 78 in one game. All hail the King! To 'Anonymous' who said the game ruined the NBA for him because LeBron was given all kinds of fouls every time he went to the hoop -- you obviously did not watch the game. LeBron chirped at the refs all game because every time we went to the hoop he was HACKED and they almost never called a foul. Go back and rewatch the game and see if your comments hold water.
And I'd love to see Bowen on Lebron. I doubt Brucie boy would be as eager to knee him, trip him, hand check him, and step under him, as he would Mr. Nash or BDavis. I think Bowen is rendered useless if he defends Lebron because Lebron at his best isn't perimeter orientated. He takes it to the rim. And he's way to strong for Bowen to slow down unless he gets dirty...which I wouldn't doubt.
Sad that some will not give credit where it's due. Forget DWade, forget MJ, only focus on who is playing. Reflecting on the past is like bragging on how fine Connie B. was in high school. Focus on the present, and that was as great of a performance as any in the history of sports. Go Lebron, they'll win. Might beat the Spurs too, this is not a normal NBA year.
First off, comparisons to the greats are completely irrelevant! The game has changed signficantly since then and players score in different ways. The East has become much more rough and tumble then when Jordan played and so it is not as easy to score 40+ points/game. When Jordan went against the old Pistons, he struggled big time and was rocked more than once by the original bad boys. Second, James is on a completely superior level to Dwayne Wade. He is faster, stronger, a better passer; virtually every aspect of his game shows better NATURAL talent. Kobe is good, but does not have chemistry with any team. He tries hard to be a team player, but it is not the best dynamic for him. Whether James or Jordan is better, who knows? Jordan was great b/c he was a champion. If James can do the same, on a consistent basis, then maybe we can begin this discussion!
James James James, Hail the King. It is about time for someone to put a lid on MJ. Even though I believe Kareem should have the honor as the greatest. Well, let the retired men be retired. James James James, Hail the King.
Check his birth certificate there is no way he's 22. His poise under pressure!! He is learning on the job and learning fast. Awesome game!
Remember - during the days of some of the great scoring games in history, zone defense was not allowed. Double, triple teaming without the ball, not allowed. Detroit played a tough swarming defense on Lebron and at times could ignore 1-3 Cavs players at any given time and send multiple guys at Lebron. I think many who are making comparisons are not taking all of this into account. Lebron literly beat one of the best defensive teams single handedly. Incredible performance.
The NBA is soft. If the refs hadn't ejected McD in the 1st, game over... Name one other sport where people get punished for a tap on the hands. Granted Lebron was taking the Detroit defense to school in OT, but in reality Detroit was afraid to lay that hard foul because of fear that the refs would eject them. Without the hard foul, Lebron will take all the shots, drive all the lanes, and put the Cavs on his shoulders for essentially 3 quarters every day of the week because he is just that physically strong. The Pistons need to lay him out when he runs the lanes so he thinks twice about going to the rim.
I've never seen one player beat an entire team as good as the detroit pistons...lebron's performance was unbelievable...although he still needs to learn how to carry himself as well as jordan.
No one is watching? We are in South Florida and the ONLY thing we are talking about today is Lebron's performance last night. If you didn't see it you missed one helluva show!
Calls and no-calls went both directions. The Pistons KNEW the only guy they needed to worry about was Lebron and they still couldn't handle it. That was a game for the ages. Yes, his performance was great, but don't say it was the best since Micheal scored 63 against Boston. What about Micheal's 55 against the Suns in the finals? Micheal playing with a flu against the Jazz? Ok, someone else beside Micheal, Reggie's 24 against the Knicks? Iverson in game one against the Lakers in the Finals? Lebron put up a good show, destroyed the Pistons, but it's not the greates performance ever. Besides, don't make it sound like they have won the NBA champoinship, the Spurs are not the Pistons
No one is like Michael Jordan, they will never be as competitive he was or still is.
People really need to start enjoying the Spurs, and stop taking their cues from a media that is not subjective, as they really care about making money, and selling stories. If it's really that important to have a guy yell anmd beat his chest after a shot, are you really a fan basketball, or something else? What exactly makes the Spurs boring? They score as much as any one else. Scratch that, more than any one else. I'm pretty sure that's the only way you win games. Watching the Spurs is awesome. So, while Lebron is great, IF he makes it to the finals, the Spurs will show you something truly awesome on their way to trophy number four.
The TNT crew talked forever about getting the ball out of LeBron's hands. How exactly do you do that? The guy can elevate over you at the three point line, while fading back, which is impossible to defend. Or he can blow by you with such power - on several occasions, he weaved through 4 Detroit defenders.
Not alot you can do there. Here's an interesting knugget - can you remember the last time LeBron committed an offensive foul? the handsoff thing also works for rip hamilton who apparentl goes to the line ten times by shooting jumpshots. no one gets fouled that much shooting just jumpers unless there reggie miller.the bottom line is detroit got outplayed by one person and their fans cant take it because that city prides itself on blue collar work thats why te rough and tumble pistons of old and new are so popular. i could care less who wins the series.the bottom line is that this "kid" played his butt off,just give him credit where credit is due,dont sullen this good game by bringing the refs into it.
As low-scoring as the Cavs/Pistons series has been, it has been anything but boring. This showdown has been intense, heated, and highly entertaining from beginning to end. And with Lebron's masterpiece last night, this series is the highlight of the playoffs (reminiscent of the Red Sox historical comeback against the Yanks - not that it's been an impossible comeback for the Cavs, just absolutely thrilling to watch).
MJ: 6 titles. Took a couple of years off to play some baseball.
LJ: No titles. Took college off to play professionally. MJ: Scored 63 AFTER coming back from a horrible injury. LJ: Scores like a guy who used to play for Atlanta. MJ: The best ever; didn't matter if he was sick, hurt, down by 30, you always knew that he would show up. LJ: Showed up last night. Come back to this in about 10 years to see what memories are made between now and then. Advantage: MJ. This is not even a fair conversation at this point in LJ's career. As low-scoring as the Cavs/Pistons series has been, it has been anything but boring. This showdown has been intense, heated, and highly entertaining from beginning to end. And with Lebron's masterpiece last night, this series is the highlight of the playoffs (reminiscent of the Red Sox historical comeback against the Yanks - not that it's been an impossible comeback for the Cavs, just absolutely thrilling to watch).
Dwayne Wade is a great player, and he is also about 4 years older than LeBron. Seems like that is forgotten quite often. Plus he played with Shaquille O'Neal who requires, for most teams, a double team even at this stage in his career. So of course DWade is going to have great numbers, and LeBron would as well if they had another legitimate threat on O.
Furthermore, I don't want to hear anyone complaining about the refs being bias towards CLE. Sheed got away with a bad foul in OT that almost changed the momentum too much for even LBJ to overcome. Also, you seem to have forgotten how they let Detroit off of the hook in Game 2...AKA, the reason this series is going to 6 games. For anyone else who cannot appreciate the greatness that was displayed last night, you are dillusional. You don't really need to compare it to anyone else, but you should realize how incredible the overall level of play from LeBron was. Also, as a Cavs fan, I do realize that it will also mean nothing if we don't win the series, and I realize that we may not be able to beat the Spurs. It doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it... Why cant we just leave it at the fact that is was a great, competitive game of play off basketball and LeBron was fantastic? I dont hear LeBron saying he is the King or he's as good as MJ or anyone else. So why do we make such a big deal about it? Shouldnt that type of discussion wait until he reached 28 - he's just 22, for pete's sake!!
There are a lot of "yeah, but's..." being said here about Lebron to try to take away the greatness of game 5. Foul calls go both ways, good and bad. As a Cleveland fan in this series I have found myself saying "I can't believe they called that!"...on us. Lebron does not need to be compared to all the other great players...they're all unique in their own way. There's no taking away that he is a great player. Sit back and enjoy. Sounds like a lot of your out there have, or you wouldn't have had any of these comments. Funny, huh
Larry Bird is still the best... Scoring 48 proves nothing unless you can make the players around you better and LeBron has not done that yet...He can't win this series on his own, it will be intresting to see if the Cavs can pull this out.
Interesting comments about Hardaway and Wade. I think the thing with LeBron is that the scouts id'd him when before he was a fresh in high school, and have been waiting for this moment. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how his career eventually pans out, but there was no question about his performance last night. One thing to keep in mind is that it wasn't the point total that made it special, it's when the points came. From the mid 4th quarter on it was LeBron vs. Detroit, and LeBron won.
Makes me laugh, hearing the complaints about the pistons getting hosed by the refs. Go watch film from game 6 last year. The pistons repeatedly got away with murder defensively and got ticky-tack fouls on the other end. They won the series last year of free throws. Now that cle has a earned a bit of a reputation defensively things are evening out a bit. Lebron is so strong that he actually gets FEWER calls than the average superstar because he can power through forarms and body contact.
Don't see the "Is LeBron the next Garnett?" anymore. Lots of us told yall. WE TOLD YOU and you didn't listen. I am a Minnesota KG boy. I lived in MN and I still claim MN as my home. I tell you that if this Finals is a Detroit and San Antonio finals I will be flipping the channel.
Way to go Lebron....... Great Game. I'm not going to steal any joy from this moment and do comparisons and judge, all I can say is that Lebron did a great job showcasing his skills last night.
Nice article.. the King showed up in the Palace.. but remember even if he is Jordanesque in Game 5, his knights are there.. an injured Hughes can opt to go on street clothes but still started and hit some shots.. Gibson stood tall and stayed smart.. Z gave points and rebounds, Snow still has defense versus Chauncey.. Varejao and Gooden make Wallace annoyed.. to sum it all this team has matured and being an underdog helped them to become hungry.. Beat Detroit!
Lebron is great mostly because of his physical skills, not so much his offensive talent. Jordan was art in the court. Pound per pound Jordan is the best ever.
>>How can the rough and tough defense of the Pistons stop countless drives if there will always be a foul called.
you obviously missed Game 2 One thing hasn't been mentioned is the fact that three Cavaliers players were fouled out during the double overtime.
Z, Gibson, and Drew were all out with 6 fouls. Lebron is just AMAZING and no one wants to watch the Spurs vs Pistons again. I am a Cav's fan, have been for life, and I may be biased. But I sit here and read Piston fan crying and whining about the officiating! The stats indicate other wise, that Detriot got there fair share of calls. I have been upset on the other end of things, but win or lose, it will not be the officiating or David Stern deciding this series.
As for LeBron, the Piston's defense did not quit. He was doubled and tripled through his 4th and OT run. He was fouled numerous times (highlighted by Sheed's mugging on the left arm), recieving no calls. He was just too good last night. He was not going to be denied. Not even by Chuck Daly's Jordan rules. You need to give the kid credit, for one night, he was one of the best to ever play the game. And I have a feeling, this won't be the last time that we see a performance like that from him. Detriot does not need a Guarensheed', or any kind of motivation, if they are not motivated by that performance, they do not deserve to go to the finals. LeBron played an absolutely superb game. Total props. But best performance ever? Stop drooling over the guy and give me a freakin' break. Only someone who's only seen about 12 playoff games could *honestly* say that. I've seen a dozen performances that good in the last dozen years. Again, it was a splendid job whose brilliance I'm not minimizing. But it's not as if we've never seen an incandescent playoff performance from a superstar before. That's what superstars do, from Mikan to Russell to Wilt to Kareem to Bird, yadda yadda. It's amazing, astounding, exalting, but it's not unprecendented. People are already talking about this game as if no one had ever had a game like this before. Complete BS. The hype around LeBron is really unbearable sometimes. (And will somebody, anybody, ever call a travel on him for one of those *endless* jogs to the hoop? It's not as if he needs the extra help.)
And yes to however said that if Kobe had done the *exact same thing,* some jackass would take the opportunity to zing him for being selfish somehow. Not a word when LeBron does it. Funny. (For the record, LeBron wasn't being selfish at the end of this game; he was doing what had to be done. I don't have a single problem with LeBron OR Kobe OR Wade OR Gilbert OR AI or whoever going on a scoring binge like that when it needs to be done, as it clearly did in this game. When you're an offensive weapon on that level, you need to be used when the occasion demands it. That's one of the things you're there for. I just hate the freakin' hypocritical double standards.) Chauncey Mr. Big Choke
Lebron was phenomenal... no question.. Flip, you gotta double team Lebron at the end of the 2nd overtime. Mike, you gotta make better use of your time outs. If Lebron didn't pull an MJ the papers would be killing you for wasting the 20 second time out in the closing minute of the first OT.
Be a WITNESS !! Watch the L-Train in action and bring it Home. GO CAV's
Bubba Who said something about James having the refs in his pocket? Clearly a Piston's fan!
James got mugged so many times I thought he was check courier in Central Park! How about the drive to the basket in OT #2 that resulted in a lay up. Did you notice the number of Pistons hanging on his arm - on yeah, no foul! I can tell the world I was speachless. I couldn't turn away from the screen (even though my Stros were on 1 channel over finally winning #%&*#$% game)! LeBron is king, the best player ever, first ballot hall-of-famer, saviour of the league. Oh wait... he's 22 years old, no championship rings yet. Maybe he's just really good and had a great game?
Wasn't this what was expected from him? Isn't that how he should play almost everytime? Wasn't that the phenomenon of Lebron James? Impressive yes, but bring that kid down to earth...he is good needless to say, but let him gain his place in history, don't jump into conclusions, a few days back the articles weren't that good about him.
whoa people get hold of yourselves! its just one game! a guy named tony delk also scored 40 plus points once and he's now in playing in the euroleague! lets see him score some more and lead his team to the finals. then we could start arguing again whether he is air apparent or air canada.
Amazing! Not just LBJ but Pistons fan complaining that the refs are on Lebron's side " laying a red carpet"! Did you actually watch the game?!? Lebron got hacked left and right with no calls and STILL made the baskets. Watch the replay of the game winner - he gets drilled in the chest. And, I beleive Billups got a foul at the end of regulation. Side note - loved Wallace crying for a foul after his game 2 comments about " a good no call - that conference finals basketball" - What a punk!
Definitely one of the best performances in NBA playoff history, I couldn’t believe some of the shots he was making…unbelievable! However, it is unfair to compare Lebron to Michael Jordan, they are not the same type of player. To me Lebron is more of a Scottie Pippen, someone who likes to affect the game in many different ways and likes to get others involved. Second who cares if Lebron did something at an earlier age than Michael (Michael went to college for three years), and finally who has the championships…Lebron 0, Michael 6. If Cleveland makes it to the finals I will be pulling for them since the NBA screwed the Suns, however I don’t think Cleveland is a better team than the Spurs. GO CAVS!
Perhaps the best play of the game was the last play of the game. James drives to the basket-five Pistons converge on Jmaes - and he wills his way to the basket for the final points of the game. R.H.
uh, yeah, it was exciting and fabulous to watch......but ONE game. I have seen Lebron miss CRUCIAL free throws in MANY games and one high scoring game doesn't a legend make. (though he will be one, rest assured).
Also, as one accustomed in TX to watching the level of consistent play of the Mavs (excepting the abortive Warriors series)and Spurs...... yowzah, the level of the two supposedly best east teams is sometimes painful to watch. The blow-it moments are constant. Every game in this series could have or should have been easily won by the other team. settle down on the anointing.. Lebron's great, but that team just ain't. The Spurs...now THAT'S a great team. ;) Let's look at what this young man did. He scored 48 in game 5 of the East Finals on the road against the 1st or 2nd best D in the league, at 22, against 4 or 5 one time all stars in Double OT. He scored 29 of his team's last 30 points. All he talks about are his teammates. He's hangs out with Warren Buffett. He's built like Malone with Magic and Michael's game. He out coaches the other team's coach. He makes his teammates better. All you LeBron Haters, stop watching basketball because he's going to make you sick! He's Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan,Tiger Woods, Jim Brown, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey! He's the best ever!
I see many complaining about the calls and others bringing up Dwayne Wade. If there is one thing that is consistant in the NBA it is that the refs always end up rolling out the red carpet for the star players. Yeah yeah.. there was a foul missed when Lebron took it hard but the rest of the night you saw Detroit basically move out of the way due to hoping not to give him his And1. I still didn't think it was as bad as last year with Wayde. If Dallas so much as breathed on Wade there was a foul called. I am rooting for the Cavs so it was VERY fun to watch last night's game but I can't lie to myself and say that I didn't see preference in the refereeing. It was clear to Detroit that if they touched Lebron they would get a foul. I can't stand Detroit but a word of advice. Lay a few hard smack down fouls on Lebron with some of the guys from the bench from time to time to at least put a speed bump or two in that red carpet the refs opened up for him through the lane.
Lastly, Lebron against Spurs? I would take the Spurs in 5 with ease. The Spurs have a superstar (or two) who gets a bit of red carpet treatment as well and they are better coached. To be honest, I don't think we will see the Cavs advance (unless the red carpet continues for Lebron to have free slam dunks) but I truly HOPE they do make it. As I've said, I can't stand Detroit. I would rather just about any other team advance to the finals. Oh..I know I said one last thing already but one other thing. Baron Davis was another prime example of the red carpet but I thought he still put on a better show with some of his crazy off balance 3s and half court shots. I'm a basketball fan. What do I care about NBA revenue. Really! Let's drop the "Oh this will be entertaining" and "This won't" and enjoy the game.
Spurs are supposed to be boring but they play the game how it's suppose to be played. Cavs vs. Detroit series is boring - But now we're getting to see the birth of the greatest player of this generation. Just watch the games and enjoy or move on. I can not believe anyone would have the audacity to compare LeBron to Jordan. Good job.
Great performance, and exciting to see a player adding some positive publicity to a league that is struggling with maintaining a fan base. Now we just need to keep LaBron from walking through an airport metal detector with marijuana wrapped in aluminum foil…or…running up in the stands to fight his fans...or…pursuing a second career in dog fighting…or…being accused of rape. If LaBron can help extinguish the ever growing “NBA Thugship” perception, maybe….just maybe…faith can be restored in professional basketball.
It's Deja Vu all over again...except this time it's the Eastern Conference Finals...LeBron James had a memorable game no doubt, although the overtime periods could have been avoided, if he had made his free throws. That's one area of his game that must improve, other than that he was far superior in Game 5. 1 King did beat 5 of a kind in Game 5.
pure hatred here!! First of all the pistons took 43 free throws to the Cavs 39.From the fourth quarter on the pistons shot 17 to the Cavs 15 and three Cavs fouled out.....so put the conspiracy to bed right now.Give Lebron his due! It wasn't about how many he scored compared to Jordan......it was the sheer difficulty of the shots.1,2,and three defenders running at him from all angles trying to trap or just simply get the ball out of his hands and he just kept hitting shot after highly contested shot! Yes it was only one performance.....but it was one very Jordan-like performance. Sportscenter just doesn't show what happened....you had to watch the whole thing!
I posted last week under "Sheed's heroics" how this series will complete. I'm not changing my opinion now....
But I want to comment on Mike Brown. There are way too many critics on Brown. He has a great reg season record for two years running. The CAVS keep improving their position in the playoffs. But more importantly, I've watched this coach improve during THIS series alone. From the stagnant offense and limited substitutions in games 1 & 2, to the very appropriate substitutions from game 3 on. This coach, w/ a superstar w/ a huge target that has a dubious supporting cast, will win SAT and send the CAVS to its 1st Finals. When was the last time that the CAVS made it to the playoffs? So yeah, Mike Brown deserves a lot of credit! And to the CAVS fans: The Piston fans were whining after they were UP 2-0, so this really shouldn't be a surprise. Just ignore them. When they say (after game 6) that the CAVS will not / cannot beat the SPURS, just say that the Pistons will DEFINITELY not beat the SPURS this year, and leave it at that. It's funny how people keep thinking Detroit is playing "bad basketball"...maybe the Cavs have something to do with that?
Going into the ECF, the Pistons were rolling through the playoffs...they swept Orlando, and then stomped all over a RED-HOT Bulls team. Now that they've met their match, it's excuse after excuse: "we're not playing our A game" or "too many mistakes"... Maybe the Cavs are FORCING these mistakes. New Jersey played "bad basketball" too...and if the Cavs meet the Spurs in the Finals, I'm sure the Spurs will play "bad basketball" too. Who cares? The bottom line is, who wins, and who loses? That's all that matters to Lebron & the Cavs. I agree that Spurs are the better team than Cavs, so are the Pistons. Best Team does not always win. I just want to see some good games.
LB was great last night. It was one of the historical NBA playoff games.I am thankful for being able to watch it. Let us not be carried away here, because there have been numerous playoff games that have been as exciting as the one we have witnessed last night.
The series is not over yet and lets wait and see if last night's game will put the Cavs to the finals. Yes, European defenders are much tougher, especially in the lane. Here's just one example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwoUD3iVS9o My criticism of LeBron to this point is that he wasn't ruthless - he didn't seem to know when or how to choke and demoralize his opponent. Last night that finally happened, and he's on his way to earning his stripes, for sure.
But can we just appreciate him for what and who he is? The league, fan nation, definitely the media are all so desperate for Michael Jordan that it's impossible to mention any productive player without whispering his name. MJ's legacy goes way beyond one or a few playoff games, or clutch performances, or championships. LeBron is just a kid, bearing a lot of pressure and so far handling it well. It's exciting that he had such a great and memorable experience, but let's appreciate it for what it was - a first and single great performance in the playoffs - and not suddenly ratchet up the Mike-o-meter. Let MJ be MJ, and let LeBron be LeBron. Better we appreciate them each for who they are. Every game is different and you can't compare one performance to another. All you can say is that on that night he did amazing things on the court. Whether or not that will translate into other phenominal performances, or a stellar overall career is another story altogether.
Omg please can we stop with even the vague comparisons to MJ.
A) MJ had to deal with a lot more physical defenses. In the soft NBA of today getting into the lane is easy. (I am talking to both teams, I really have no affinity to one or the other) B) No matter what anyone says Lebron is play in the weak Eastern Conference. Even Detroit as the best team is not really that good in comparison to the heavy weights in the West. C) Let's see him maintain this kind of production for as long as MJ did or even Kobe has. I remember not too long ago a new kid from Toronto being called MJ for his spectacular play. We saw how quickly that one ended. So please people put away the anointing oil, he is really good but he has a long way to go. The Lone Super-Star verses The Team Unit.
What could be more interesting to watch ? I have always rooted for the superstar, the individual who refuses to lose, and last night was a classic ! LeBron was Fantastic, though it seemed like the Pistons were in awe of him, allowing him to do whatever he wanted, unlike Kobe who three players will immediately cover him like syrup on a pancake. I think the Pistons were shocked and remain so to this point, though I think now that their back is against the wall will wake up and fight for dear life ! Gotta love this NBA season ! Don't get me wrong, I am without a doubt a LeBron fan, and I am still in shock after his performance last night. However, he does everything on the court but he still needs to MAKE HIS FOUL SHOTS! If the ball is going to be in his hands down the stretch, and everyone in the world knows it will be, 1 of 2 is not good enough, let alone the 0 for 2 that he choked on last night. Nevertheless, he has definitely earned the title "KING JAMES". But please LeBrizzle, make your free throws.
I love these comments of saving the "League". I also like the ones about cheating refs. As a sports fan, REF don't cheat. It's just the ways you interpert the calls. Furthermore, players win or lose basketball/baseball/football/hockey/soccer games not the refs. Hell, what are you guys smoking? U looking at the game thru bias eyes. As far as saving the league comment, he is saving the league from "What"? The NBA will always be behind football and even with MLB and Nascar. There final ratings will be the same as World Series and double that of NASCAR. As far as outside of the US, it's rating blows aways anything expect World Cup Soccer. You people need to stop thinking what White American males watch is what everyone does in the WORLD. Wake up people! Also, you guys need to sit back and enjoy a very entertaining series and a funny thing will happen, THE BEST TEAM WILL WIN AND GO ON TO WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. By the way, the refs or the league won't decide it.
The referees underperformace was unbelievable as well!
I now understand Mark Cuban and his disdain for the NBA. There is no doubts that Stern has asked the referees to favor the Cavs: These many mistakes in 1 single game from what are supposed to be the best refs in the NBA!!! The ejection of MCDyess with no calls against James when he repeated the very same agreesive behavior towards Hamilton later on... and the call on Maxiell when once again James simply went off balance on his own. This was ridiculous and behind your TV you probably missed the fact that all along James constantly whined to the refs. Stern stay out of this and let the players play even tough it may mean lower ratings for the NBA with a Spurs/Pistons final. this is ridiculous.
Just stop to think: Last time people were criticizing LJ for not taking the last shot. Now he made all points for his team (like Kobe). However, if this WAS kobe, people would be saying how selfish he was. This is a very fun league...to say the least. i love how people are handing the spurs the damn title already... lets not forget the cavs were 2-0 against the spurs in the regular season.
The game was amazing. Lebron was amazing. I wish everyone would take the chance to just enjoy the show. If a Detroit fan was to blame someone, they should try blaming "Mr. Big Shot" who missed a shot at the end of the fourth, a three when all they needed was a bucket, at the end of the 1st overtime, the refs gave him a call there that begs to differ their rooting for the Cavs, and at the end of the 2nd overtime. How, with play like that, plus turnovers throughout the series, do you get the nickname "Mr. Big Shot?" And why would the Pistons be so afraid to stop Lebron b/c the refs might call a foul on them. Have you seen Lebron shoot free throws? It seems to me like the best thing that they could have done. It's just sad that with the performance he had everyone has so much negative to say, and now I can include myself in that category. It was a great game by a great player who's biggest mistake at times is trying to make other players on his team "better" then they really are instead of taking the shots he needs to. Isn't that what everyone complained about after the first loss? Looking forward to game 6 regardless of the consequences.
The Pistons deserve to lose this series. Cleveland is a better defensive team than they are, and it appears they are better coached. The Pistons lack the energy level, and are very predictable on offense. Plus, only in the NBA can one guy determine a game. That’s why the NBA sucks!
to all the haters out there LeBron one day will be the greatest player to ever live and he gave you a little taste of what he is going to bring last night. He will lead the Cavs to a game six win and then they will take the Spurs, Yep, I said it and in the next 10 years LeBron will have at least 5 championships and by then he would be only 32 so yes LeBron will be the GREATEST of all time!!!!!!!!
I'm pretty sure the fact that Lebron is 22 makes this amazing but keep in mind those 25 points came from 2 OTs where Lebron got the ball on EVERY play! I will agree it was a stellar performance for Lebron, but what about the rest of the Cavs?
They Cavs suck, and as a team, They don't deserve to win the Eastern Conference, because they aren't the best team. They may have the best player, but not the team. LeBron DOES get preferential treatment from the refs. If Rasheed Wallace or Ron Artest had charged at a player like Lebron did to McDyess, they would've been ejected no questions asked. But God forbid, if Lebron James get kicked out of a game, what would the Cavs have done? If you're gonna throw Amare Stoudamire out for getting off of the bench, then how is this any different? IT was James and the rest of the Cavs' theatrics that actually get them calls, whether they're warranted or not. McDyess shouldn't have been ejected. If Lebron wasn't such a queen, they would've charged McDyess with a flagrant and moved on. No worries though, the Pistons still functioned well even after losing a critical player. I'm Positive the Cavs could not have done the same without Lebron. AMAZING, that was just ridiculous. Bron finally shows us what he is capable of, of course the chances of him doing this ever again is very very slim, but it proved that he is capable of scoring in bunches, including crunch time.
But, it seems like the pistons aren't playing like the pistons, they're not playing like they were in so many games, with poise. Their defense on Bron at the end was horrible, how do you let a guy go 1 on 1 and dunk it 2 times in a row, in a close game at the end? You can all say what you wans about Lebron, the game spoke for itself. It takes a god to do the things he did. the Pistons are a very good defensive team but had no answers, it's easy for people watching the game to criticise them for not playing defense, they did play defense against a much better offensive weapon. it's one of those moments where they kept saying in their minds, this can't be happening, he'll soon run out of gas, and after every play, they still did not believe...but now WE ARE ALL WITNESSES!!!!
Is Lebron better than MJ, Kobe, well lebron is not MJ or Kobe and neither are MJ and Kobe, Lebron. Lebron is Lebron and he is doing his thing, you're the ones comparing, the kid only wants to win. Quit criticizing Coach Brown, with out the coach, the team will not be where they are defensively today! Lebron is way better than Wade. He scored 29 out of his team's last 30 points and only 5 out of the 29 came on free throws. In fact, Wallace had a "block" on James last night where he got all wrist and no ball. This is a far cry from Wade's 20 free throws a game atrocity in last year's finals.
It is amazing to read so many comments calling the Spurs boring and dull. Look at the number of championships they have and how great a player Tim Duncan is. They dont' whine about calls or no calls, they don't bad mouth teammates (like Detroit), they dont go on the radio and blast management or coaches and demand a trade (like Mr. Overrated Kobe, then change their mind, and they don't whine all the time (see Garnett, Carter, Dirk).They just keep winning.
I'm a Detroit fan, and certainly hope they win ... but even I sat there watching thinking that by this effort alone he needs to be in the Finals. You could tell that he wanted it more than anyone on the floor ... although Chauncey was going for it and doing what he could. I think having McDyess in there would have been a huge help for them last night. What a bonehead play.
I'll be the first to admit that James had a fantastic game, one of the best playoff performance ever. However, I'm a bit confused by this "saving the league" stuff. The Spurs are on their way to their 4th championship in 9 years (two plays away from going for their 5th championship in a row), they play great unselfish team ball, they have the best power forward ever, an All-Star who comes off of the bench, and are probably one of the best defensive teams ever. In an age of little team loyaltly and high-priced do-nothings, the Spurs are an oasis in the proverbial desert. So, hats off to Lebron and the Cavs on their outtsnading win last night over a very good Pistons team, but with San Antonio, what league needs saving?
p.s. If some of you fans want high-scoring teams that play little-to-no defense, then by all means, enjoy the Mavs, Suns, and any other team that hasn't won a championship. But, if you want great basketball, you can look to the 2005 Finals when San Antonio and Detorit had a great 7-game series. If you want "run-and-gun" with high turnovers and no more creativity than shoot, shoot, shoot, root for a Suns-Wizards Finals next year. If you want great basketball where teams find a way to get the ball in the hole and stop the other team from doing so, watch the Spurs! I wish people would stop comparing this guy to Mj, there's only going to be one MJ, one lebron, and one kobe. This wasn't a Jordan-like performance it was a Lebron-like performance. it was a great performance but even if the Cavs win the series they won't win more than 2 games versus the spurs. A pistons/spurs finals would be better.
Still got LeBron Haters? I can't beleive it. One work AMAZING. All the Detroit Crybabies crying foul by the refs? How about all the no calls. Sheed hack Lebron on his so called block in the 4th. I didn't know the wrist is considered part of the ball. The no call at the end of regulation when Lebron should of got an and 1. And the no call at the end of the 2nd ot when he should have got another and 1. People just take it for what it was One of the Greatest Performances in Playoff history. Still got at least one more to play and the Pistons are tough so nothing is written in stone. Just say Thank you Lebron! I am a Witness!!!
While MJ lost to the bucks at 22, he was already a national champion (UNC) and his team MADE the playoffs his rookie season (unlike Lebron). Jordon's 63 against the celtics came in his second season. By his fourth he was BOTH MVP and Defensive Player of the year.
I'm a piston fan and the refs did give Lebron a couple extra calls probably resulting in about 6 to 8 points. However, with the way he was playing he probaly would have just made more three pointers with the way he was playing. I thought the pistons played decent defense on him also. He just made a lot of really tough shots. Lebron deserved that game. Also i don't think he should have gotten a tech and Mcdyess shouldn't have been kicked out. It should have been a flagrant one.
I am a HUGE Piston's fan, have been for over 20 years, and even I can admit that Lebron was awesome last night. He was just unstoppable, it had nothing to do with the officiating. I am glad that I was able to witness a game like that. Heartbroken at the turnout, but what a game!! Come on Detroit, I still believe in you!!
Calling the Spurs "ultra boring" is just plain ignorant. The Spurs can run as well as any team (bye-bye Phoenix) with Parker and Ginobli, in addition to their solid half-court game. If winning a championship every other year is "ultra boring", a lot of people would take that over "ultra exciting" teams which can't even reach their conference finals.
In the playoffs, Golden State scored 70 points in the first half and the Spurs have several 100+ point games – compare this to the Eastern Conference Finals where either team can barely score more than 80 points in a whole game and needed 2 overtimes to finally break 100 points. THAT'S BORING! Way too many arm-chair critics on here. Stop comparing the man to anybody. It's impossible, because the game has changed. The players are different, the defenses are different, and the game is different. LBJ is his own player. Stop finding so many faults in his game, because nobody posting these comments could take him and nobody here is an NBA coach or player. "LBJ needs to do this and needs to do that." He's just 22. Give him his due...the Pistons did.
The pistons are certainly capable of winning in Cleveland though. This series is not over. I would love to see the Cavs in the finals but I think Detroit has the best chance of knocking off the Spurs. I hate to say it, but I am not convinced either team can beat the Spurs.
I wonder what is going thru Carlos Boozer's head right now. You got paid by utah, but you and your old lady are getting another kind of payback now. Hope that couch is comfy.
Phew with that said, just let the teams play. Over the course of 7 games, outside forces, ie ref calls, fans, media, etc become dilluted and the actual players typically have the ultimate say in the outcome of the series. I have watched the cavs play for years and I am just elated to see our team in this position. scoring twenty five in a row doesnt show real greatness it show mediocre teamates..imagine no one stepping up during th end of regulation and overtime..
I AM A FREAKING WITNESS!!! WOW, that was sick!
True, as someone has already posted, Cleveland has not won yet. However, since another has posted about the officials coddling LeBron James, if the officials had been doing their job in an earlier Detroit "win," when LeBron was mugged on a drive to the basket, Cleveland would already be on their way to San Antonio.
LeBron's performance last night was almost as incredible as his calm response to the non-call.Those officials should be fired. What a performance, King James has proven he is more than hype. Too bad after this series the season is over for me. I will not watch the finals because the Spurs have gotten into the head of the officials and they are unable to call the games fairly when the Spurs are playing. Don't get me wrong, I love the Spurs but I think they can win without being handed so many calls. Why is it that players that constantly push, hit and kick are not called for fouls?
Are the officials just so use to it they don't see it as a foul? Just look what they allow Detroit to do to Lebron every time he touches the ball. Let's not blow this out of proportion, please. Why is it that every time a player has an unbelievable game, we have to compare him to MJ and start talking about him like a legend? It was a great display, but they haven't even won the series yet! Furthermore, even if they do win the series, they'll be promptly dispatched by the Spurs, a far superior team. Also, and this is not to take anything from LeBron, because he was incredible, but Detroit's defense was pathetic. Even the commentators on TNT spent 1/2 an hour talking about how little they did to stop him. There must have been 5 or 6 wide open drives to the hole, including the last one which put them up for good. That would never happen against the Spurs. Perhaps the Pistons vaunted defense is simply overrated. Still a great game from LeBron though.
OK let's stop the Jordan comparisons already. Just last week the media was killing him for his Game 1 & 2 performances, and now he's king of the world.
We have to remember one thing about the Jordan/Lebron comparisons. True Lebron looks better at 22 than Michael did, but is the competition they played against even close? Jordan played against guys like Magic, Bird and Barkley while Lebron feasts on "stars" like Vince Carter and Paul Pierce all year long. We should wait to see if they even win this series before calling Lebron the next great player. Lebron's biggest task will be the Spurs. He will close out the Pistons in six and hopefully take the Spurs in seven. In order for them to do that the Cavs have to win two games on the road, and Lebron can not struggle from the line, he will have to attack the paint, and his teammates will have to step up huge.
The thing was, it WAS good defense. It's not like Detroit let him shoot and drive - I don't know what more they could do - he was just hitting everything, under tremendous pressure. I'm no fan of the NBA "let's isolate for the star" style, but that was just some great performance.
No way it works against the Spurs though, assuming they get by the Pistons. They would destroy the Cavs in 5. Ho hum. WOW, you really out did yourself Lebron. I mean the King has adjourned his court. From here on out no one will be asking who the next Jordan will be, they'll be asking about the next LBJ. Don't get me wrong, I still have a hard tome believing game five, but the best is yet to come for the Cavs. A much needed performance for the NBA and the city of Cleveland. I have never seen anyone control a game the way James did. Jordan is back to bring havoc to Detroit, oh wait, that's Lebron.
Send Kobe to Cleveland. He wants to be traded and as an LA fan, I'm over him. Let those two work together.
Who really wants to see Detroit and Spurs play in the finals. The Cavs are a young team and have matured throughout the stretch. I would love to see LBJ and his team win the championship!
That's impressive what he did last night, but all this hype is ridiculous...Til he does that in the 'Big One'...then start talking..but I've seen much better performances, in much more important settings w/alot more on the line......like last year with D-Wade... thru out the finals.. down by 2 games then winning 4 straight that's jaw dropping..heart pounding..legendary..
Just like last year when David Stern and the Ref's gave the Eastern Conference to Dwayne Wade in an effort to create a Jordan-like superstar...This year Lebron gets the red carpet treatment. I now remember why I'm mostly a college B-Ball fan.
OH--this also reminds me why we won't see anymore Olympic Gold medals in this event. All our "star" players don't know how to execute whithout the kid-glove refs to babysit for them. It's true, San Antonio are the most boring championship level team in NBA history. The Pistons are a close second, with fans all over finding it extremely difficult to root for players like Rasheed Wallace.
Who ever said Lebron has the refs on his side and Detroit can't play tough defense on him has not clue what they are talking about. He gets the least fouls called in his favor of any star player in the NBA. Wade gets touched and he gets 2 shots no matter what happens. Where was the foul at the end of the game when Lebron hit the game winning lay up. There were 3 detroit players that hacked him and he had to pull an unbelievable lay up out of no where because he almost lost the ball from being hit so hard. He had the game 1 and 2 where he shot 2 free throws total. The guy has a lack of respect from the refs.
lebron... greatest performance ?? give me a break... he shows up huge this one game and everyone gives him the glory. it's funny kobe carries his team night in and night out and gets blamed for taking every shot... ummm... did lebron not take pretty much every shot ??? hello ???
i'll give him his props when he's capable of beating a west opponent. Spurs in 5. (cle will win one because every dog has his day) I was rooting for the Pistons just because of all of this hype surrounding Lebron. Sure, he's a good player, but the Pistons just let him get to the rim on several occasions in OT. If these Pistons were even near the caliber of the "Bad Boys" Pistons of old, Lebron wouldn't even win a game with his helpless teammates.
For these reasons, I want to see the Cavs vs the Spurs. I'm not a Spurs fan, but I hope they completely thrash the Cavs and bring everyone back to reality. Lebron makes the nba worth watching. Last night he was Jordan-esque. Hopefully he can refill the tank for game 6.
"It is easy for Lebron James to be fearless when driving to the hoop because he has the NBA Referees on his side. How can the rough and tough defense of the Pistons stop countless drives if there will always be a foul called. This game ruined the NBA for me, i will never respect a game where you have to lay down a red carpet for every drive to the hoop."
Is that some sort of joke?? Lebron gets fouled (often fouled very hard) on virtually every drive to the hoop -- it's the only way he can be stopped. If you don't like watching this guy, then not only do you not like basketball, you just don't like sports. Take up knitting. Don't forget Dirk Nowitski's 50 points against the Phoenix Suns in Western Conference finals. Does that count as one of the greatest achievements in playoff history, or is this the NBA trying to salvage the Eastern Conference?
I certainly agree with some of you that he may have got a lot of calls from the refs in his favor that other players may not have received. However that doesnt explain the several turnovers by the Pistons late in the game. That doesnt explain the fade away 3 pointers he hit while being defended by several pistons. That doesnt explain the back to back dunks that left the Pistons standing flat footed in which he did not get a call when it was obvious he was fouled on the second dunk. The game was great to watch regardless of your opinion on the refs. That is unless you're a Pistons fan then like any other city in the same position as you guys were you will find excuses. Not that its a bad thing..its natural. I just think you should realize that if you did in fact see the game you were a part of a magnificent performance and nobody can take that away from Lebron. He did exactly what he said he was going to do against one of the best defenses in the league.
No doubt LBJ's game was in fact one for ages; possibly the best since game 6 of the '75 2OT game of Kareem vs Havlicek! It still remains to be seen if a one-man team can go on to win the series vs a team-oriented San Antonio, or even Detroit!
What Lebron did last night was great but yall are going too far as to say that was the greatest performance in history. What about Jordan's 63 against one of the best teams in history, playing through the flu for about 38 against the jazz. Pennys 40+ games back to back against the Heat. I like Lebron but give me a break.
Lets see:
5 Games 47% FG 42% 3P 74% FT PPG: 27 RPG: 8 APG: 9 SPG: 3 BPG: 0 TPG: 3 A/T: 3 Those are Magic Johnson, the Big O type playoff stats right there. WOW! Penny hardaway? pleassssssssssse! LeBron doesn't earn the title of "King" until he gets a championship.
Lebron is amazing...but this was just one big performance waiting for a looooong time. Don't compare KOBE to LEBRON. KOBE is the best player on this planet!
Incredible..! It's been a while since we have been able to witness a player, throw his team on his back in such a pressure situation and come through in the clutch. I'm not even going to make the comparison's to you know who...but I mean seriously, it reminded of the other great #23. That being said, I still favor Detroit in this series. Next time they won't let Lebron drive to the basket at will. I predict some very rough play from Detroit in game 6.
This article is why I don't read SI often or watch the NBA. Best playoff performance in History? Please.... (The real 23 resides hanging from United Center's rafters)
people who think LBJ gets a ton of calls are abject idiots who cannot even watch TV properly....there were missed calls and silly fouls called...how many times does Mr. Missed Shot run into people and get touch calls...crazy....the legend will grow for LeBron as the wins grow..those who think that the Spurs will rout the Cavs(should they close out the Pistons) should know thats exactly what the national media and the former athlete turned unintelligible commentators expected and predicted with the Pistons and Cavs too...
And yes, Lebron does have a team. If I recall, they almost won games 1 and 2 with him having a sub-par game. They have a good starting lineup as well as a solid bench. People need to stop lying to themselves. Dont forget, Lebron didnt even shoot that well. That was one of the best performance but NOT THE BEST. No way the best. chill out
Ummm...Good game by LBJ, but, am I the only one who thought Detroit's defense was a little, oh I don't know, out to lunch, at the end of the game? No one touched him on the go ahead score. After 15 straight, don't you maybe go Bowen on him or something to disrupt the flow? Obviously he's making shots, tough shots, from all over the court. Just chasing him around and trying to get him out of the lane is not going to do it. You need to take a charge, make a block, do *something*. Horrible brain cramp by the etroit pistons at crunch time.
a week ago Lebron was the next playoff bust(KG) now he's better than MJ...you sports writters are the biggest bandwagonners I have ever seen...I especially love the part where Lebron is now saving the league as he is the "best player in the world", keep jumping on whoever is hot right now...you have no real opinion...it's just pathetic
"Can the best player in the world beat the best team in the world? Tune in at 9pm."
That sentence represents what is wrong with sports journalism. Way too much hype. Way too much. The industry has become a lesson plan for a fictional writing class. The title lines are always great, then about three sentences in, I start to trip over all the Peter Pan storybook stuff. Nothing special or legendary about that performance. He's using magnets and hidden trampolines. Don't you folks even pay attention to the David Blaine commercials!?
THERE REALLY IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION. I love how the fans in Cleveland think they've already won the series. Clearly the Pistons are not who they were last year, but Cleveland sports is known to choke and/or experience bad luck. Why, Cleveland fans, do you think this is any different?
Great performance but let's not get carried away by calling it the greatest playoff performance ever. For one night, he just did what Michael Jordan did for an entire career. This doesn't come close to the game when Magic played Center. Give him his due but let's not get carried away.-KarolinasKorner KarolinaHymns
Regardless of the outcome of the series, the past three games and play of Lebron- especially last night have saved this season for the league. This had been a horrible playoff run until the Pistons/Cavs series, and now everyone will be watching every game of this and the Championship series.
THANKS LEBRON Hey 2:43AM June 1, are you watching the same series as us? It's incredible how many fouls the ref's have missed this series-both ways. A couple of important ones that LBJ should have made it to the line to change the outcome of the 79-76 second game.
What makes last nights game even more interesting was how hard it was for the unselfish LeBron to basically take over and carry that team on his back. For the past 4 games he has tryed to get his game in the game by dishing off when he clearly had the opportunity to score. The Jordan-esque reference made by Steve Kerr was on point but I'd like to add that he went from trying to be Magic-esque. Forget a comparison to all-about- me-Kobe as they aren't even in the same league of player. Finally someone who is truly a hero of the league. Imagine if they had a point guard like Kidd or Nash and a clutch shooter like Derek Fisher on this team....one word, Dynesty.
My goodness just get this guys his 'Pippen' and he wins 6 (or more) titles as well. Just amazing.
I live in Cleveland and I totally agree with Dave early in the blog. The Cavs are winning because Lebron is playing well with his TEAM. Gooden, Sasha and Z have taught him well, the way the game should be played, unselfishly. I agree that Lebron relishes the opportunity to shine and sometimes makes arrogant decisions when he is fearful of losing, but overall, this team totally sets the pace more often than not, as a team. It is only a treat that players like Gibson come out from the woodwork to add fuel to the fire. I wish everyone would recognize the rest of the team and how the Cavs would never be leading alone. I hope Kobe realizes how good the Lakers could have been early on if the team supported each other as well as the Cavs do. Go Cavs!!!
I'm sorry. But I'm giving credit where credit is due. Who cares about what happened yesterday. Who cares about what will happen tomorrow. The truth is, the guy gave an amazing performance that few people on this planet have, or will ever come close to, delivering. This doesn't abstain his team or coach or anyone else from their own greatness. But last night, today, LeBron is worthy to be praised. And the church said - Amen.
The only difference between lebron's night and Jordan's 63, was that Lebron came away with a W.
We all wanted to throw him into the "King" status, now we finally have a reason to.
Lebron is so terrible he has no athletic ability or strength whatsoever and he is about as clutch as my automatic explorer. he will never lead a team to one win from the nba finals. oh wait.. ok I guess he's alright.
What about the missed free throws? That game should have been over in regulation. Lebron had his chance and missed them.
Let me get this straight -- LeBron scores 48 points total, 25 consecutive and every point in the two overtimes and this equals "team player"???? Don't get me wrong, this is a remarkable individual performance and LeBron should get his due, however, when Kobe has had similar performances he has been routinely castigated as a "ball hog," and other less complimentary criticisms. This double standard makes me sick.
i do think james is a complete menace, jordonesk maybe , but just remember cavs fans detroit is best when a foots at their throat just remember last year
detroit in 7 I live in Cleveland and I totally agree with Tim early in the blog. I wish everyone would realize that the Cavs are where they're at now because they are a TEAM. Gooden, Sasha and Z have taught Lebron well in how to help each other out and play unselfishly. Lebron does sometimes make arrogant decisions when he's nervous, but for the most part, they are playing well because they are totally setting the pace as a team. It is even more of a treat that rookies like Gibson come up out of the woodwork in a time of need, but EVERYONE is playing well. The Cavs have the deepest bench in the entire league right now. If Kobe would have learned to play with his team from the beginning, the Lakers would have won a championship 3 years earlier.
they may not be as flashy as your "flavor of the season" team...but they'll school them any hour of the day. just be thankful that they give your team a workout to play better.
So Lebron scores 48...in DOUBLE overtime. Jordan scored his 40-50+ games in regulation. And I am not a Jordan lover or James hater but to call this "one" game maybe the greatest of all time? Puhleease. He took almost every shot in the 4th quarter and in the overtimes. Several times I saw other guys WIDE open for shots but he forced it up anyway. Now I do admit that some of the surrounding cast couldn't make a bucket standing on a latter in front of the rim but if that's the case, Lebron will have to take 90% of all the shots in game 6. Just don't crown him the actual "King" just yet.
I saw the game and it was and all time great performance but certainly we can't say it was the greatest of all time. Did we forget Magic (rookie) starting at center and delivering a near triple double?!! Bird in the finals against the Lakers?!!!Jordan demolishing the Blazers in the first half?!! Jordan delivering while being sick against Utah?!! Hakeem basically winning their first championship by dominating the entire finals?!!!What Shaq averaged over entire finals for three consecutive years?!!! Kobe scoring 6 or 7 consecutive baskets to beat the Indiana Pacers after Shaq had fouled out?!!! These performances all rank higher than Lebron's game because they were in the finals. Lebron may well turn out to be one of the greatest playoff performers of all time but he has to deliver in the finals first!!
Hold on now. Slow down with the Jordan comparisons. One great playoff game does not put anyone on the same level as Jordan. When your team wins 72 games in a season, maybe. When you win at least 6 championships, and 6 finals MVPs, maybe. When you are constantly voted to both the All NBA team and All Defensive team, we can talk.
This is the same thing everyone did with Wade last year. I thought Wade was the Next Jordan? Now, it's LeBron? Come one people! LeBron had a GREAT game last night. He is exceptionally talented. But please, please stop with the Jordan talk. Until these young guys (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Anthony) win multiple championships they should not even mentioned in the same breath as Jordan. Kobe was the best player in the league 2 years ago, but not now. Lebron has taken that away from him, and put a ton of distance between them, I mean, its not even close from Lebron to whoever is #2(not Kobe by the way).
The best player is supposed to be able to overcome and will his team to victories. Kobe losing in the 1st round 2 or 3 years straight now is not indicative of greatness. Let me know when he can carry a team full of bench players to the Conference finals, and possibly beyond. Let's not get ahead of ourselves Cleveland - you haven't won anything yet and these games have all been decided by less than 5 points. Detroit is still the team to beat and they are not going to just give it to you. Imagine if James missed just one shot. That is a 4 point swing. Detroit can now wake up and play for 4 Quarters.
I seriously cannot believe the negativity towards LBJ. What else does a guy have to do to be considered elite? It's not like he had one great game and people are calling him a superstar. He has been incredible all the way up through high school and now into the NBA. Look at his stats over the last 3 years and look at how far he has brought this team. Each year they have progressed further into the playoffs. He's done it all except win a championship and that's only because no ONE player is going to do that - he needs a supporting cast. And HE IS ONLY 22! ...far far from his prime. Sure, he still has a lot of game to develop and some bad habbits to overcome, but come on people, we are witnessing the rise of one special player. What is scary is that he still has a lot to fix about his game...and yet he is THAT good despite his weaknesses.
For anyone who considers themselves a fan of professional basketball you must remember the refs are part of the game. The worst thing any team can do is complain about the refs.
If you think your favorite team is home right now because of the refs, then your team in not as good as you thought they were. Please, stop the whining! Some comments are so funny. LeBron can't do anything right. It was a great performance against one of the premier defenses in the league and someone says he couldn't do it vs. a EUROLEAGUE team. Give me a break. Pistons had 10 sets of eyes on LeBron and he was still able to do what he did which is crazy. But to seal the deal he has to beat Detroit in the series else its for nothing.
Not to mention our rebounding has been KILLER in the playoff. Gooden, Varejao and Z have been at the basket with every single shot, not to mention getting scrappy and shooting from the outside. Way to go guys. Oh yeah, Lebron is down there too...
Lebron's performance was incredible and will never be forgotten. If he plays even half as good as he did last night in the next game this series is over.
You can't compare any B-Ball greats. God has BLESSED each indivisual with their own SPECIAL TALENT. Theirs only one unique number in the numbering system. But you can always use 23, a,b,c, Michael Jordon had 23, Lebron has 23, after LB, someone else great will use 23!
i disagree with all comments about lebron being handed calls by the refs... yes they called a lot of fouls on guys hacking lebron because LEBRON GETS HACKED. i can't count how many times he got slapped on the arms and still just made the bucket without a call. now, if he could only shoot free throws consistently...
Exactly how bad is the NBA to have a single guy take on en entire team in the conference finals? How many weeks until March madness?
Whoever "Anonymous" is that posted about a "red carpet" being laid for LeBron is out of his mind. These refs have done almost everything to hand this series to the Pistons. Last night was the first time some calls actually went Cleveland's way. Yes, Wallace was fouled on a shot near the end. LeBron has been hammered all series (Game 2 possible winner, last night late in game by Wallace, the list goes on...) Dude, don't cry because your team is about to lose. LeBron fights through more no calls than ANY star in this league.
Definitely LeBron's performance ranked up there with Jordan's best. But LeBron still needs to develop the consistency of MJ, who would come through with games like that whenever needed (but of course, MJ's consistency came later in his career). At 22, it's hard telling what LeBron is capable of as he gets more experience and more wisdom.
As for the series, I definitely think this is the best one (Spurs-Phoenix second) in this year's playoffs. David and Goliath theme, great performances all over the place. Remember Sheed's heroics in Game 2. And let's not forget Billups' awesome go-ahead 3-pointer late in last night's game. I am a Piston's fan, and I am not crying, so all you haters out there need to stop with that non-sense. LeBron was remarkable, yes, but this series is not over. Remember last year: It was the same situation with the Pistons down 3 to 2 and they came back and won the series. The Pistons always rise up with their backs to the wall. Let us not forget that we lost McDyess to a marginal call at best. He should not have been ejected and would have clearly made a difference. Rasheed was clearly fouled on the possession prior to LeBron's game winning drive. How many times is that boy going to shoot an air ball in that situation? Come on, now.... All you Cleveland fans will truly be the ones crying in a few days. Go Pistons!!!
A comment about an ealier statement about generating more revenue to the league and raising salary caps! THESE GUYS MAKE WAY TO MUCH MONEY FOR PLAYING A SPORT!!! its a joke to watch some of these games and to see how they are officiated and how much the players whine when they barely get brushed and started flopping around! The best performance wasn't lbj scoring monolpy in the fourth and overtimes it was the great performance of Varejao flopping to the floor! Teams win championships not one man shows!
LeBron was great last night, refs or no refs. The Pistons have to step up and stop the drive to the lane and make him drain the foul shots (which he was struggling with at times).
However, let's have a bit of historical perspective before we start labeling anything or anyone the "greatest". You have to win a ring first. And if Cleveland manages to slip past Detroit to make the finals, they're not going to win a 7-game series against the Spurs, despite the regular season head-to-head. P.S. Don't let the Bulls add KG for next year because this discussion will be moot! Big Piston fan here...That was one of the best performances I have ever seen in any sport, not just basketball. Cavs are hungrier, plain and simple. Hate to say it, but my Pistons look old and slow.
Why in the he**, we cant have anyone drive to the net...pitiful. I didn't see anything wrong with the officiating. If I remember correctly, Is. Thomas, Laimbeer and Dumars had there share of favorable calls back in the day. Remember that Detroit fan?
Not sure if I'm getting more enjoyment out of the Cavs beating the Pistons or the Tribe whoopin the Tigers. Good times! How come noone mentions his missed free throws in the 4th quarter and in OT. As great as his performance was, if he dosen't miss those 2 free throws in the 4th quarter, then the 2 overtimes don't happen. You can't be an all time great if you can't knock don key free throws to close a team out. Chauncey did it to tie the game in teh 1st overtime and even Shaq has hit some big ones in his career.
Kobe never carried his team in a big stage at 22? GAME 4 2000 NBA FINALS. Look it up.
Ok, first of all, stop saying he did what he did because the refs were on his side. If that's what you think then you obviously didn't watch the game. The Pistons were throwing in cheap shots at him all game long, and the block from Rasheed? Are you kidding me? They showed the replay twice, both of them revealing Rasheed Wallace smacking down on Lebron's wrists, not once did he even touch the ball. I was suprised on some of the cheap fouls that were awarded to the Pistons. Lebron James was just too good for them. Oh, and they also didn't get Richard Hamilton a tech when he hit Lebron's face as he was getting up. Rip is lucky Lebron isn't a hot head, other wise, he would've been hospitalized right now.
like or not, the boy is bad, superbad. For real dropping 48, 25 in a row, in Detroit. He's the man, last night.
Still, can't get with kobe I WILL MAKE THIS SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE. LEBRON IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A GREAT PLAYER. IS HE THE GREATEST EVER. OF CORSE NOT! HAS ANYONE DONE WHAT HE HAS DONE WITH THE TIME HE'S HAD IN THE LEAGUE? OF CORSE NOT!HE IS SPECIAL. BUT ITS NOT ABOUT WHERE HE IS AT THIS MOMENT. AND I DONT MEAN HIS PHYSICAL GIFTS. I MEAN THE MENTAL PART OF HIS GAME. THATS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS SEPERATED EVERY GREAT ATHLETE FROM THE GREAT MJ. IF HE CAN GRAB AHOLD OF THAT MENTAL, HE COULD VERY WELL BE THE GREATEST. THE MEDIA NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN DESTROY PLAYERS POTENTIAL MENTALLY BY ANNOINTING THEM THE NEXT MJ SO EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS. I JUST THINK THEY NEED TO RELAX ON THE KID.HE WILL BE GREAT, BUT ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL WE FIND OUT IF HE IS EXCEPTIONAL!
Last night was one of the best performances ever due to the fact Lebron scored 25 straight points and 29 of 30 against a team that has won a championship and been to 2 Finals. Its not like LeBron is doing this against a #8 seeded team. And what is even more remarkable is LeBron has no superstar as a teammate like MJ Magic Bird Kobe etc.
lets be real now...i love lebron as a player...but dont compare to kobe,jordan etc yet...theyve won championships already..also lets be real the talent today is diluted unlike when magic and jordan first started. there were less teams and the defense were better...today the game is suited for perimeter players with rules such as no handchecking...trust me if lebron was playing the bad boy pistons he wouldnt have done what he did in the 4th quarter
You know, I too am tired of the MJ comparisons. Because he's not MJ. He's the best mix of MJ and Magic that I have seen play. I thought that was the best performance I'd seen since the "flu" game, which blew me away at the time. I was not a Bulls fan, and am not a Cavs fan, nor was I a 49ers fan (speaking of the great Montana for comparison- who I couldn't stand when he was playing), and sure as hell not a Lakers fan, but after the fact you look back at the singular presences of the stars on those teams and you realize that you got to watch something special. That's why, though I am a Blazer fan who watched his team get beaten over and over by MJ AND Magic, I watch as many Cavs games as I can, because he's the only current player you're going to look back on and say "wow, I saw him play- man am I glad I took the time to" Just like those other guys who crushed my teams over the years. Go Cavs. And get him some support.
lets stop comparing lebron to kobe and jordan. theyve won championships already...also remember he is in the east and only had to beat a depleted wizards team and an underachieving nets team...also the talent in the nba today is dilluted because of expansion and new rules gives offensive players the advantage. trust me lebron would not have done what he did against the bad boy pistons. back in the day jordan had to get past talented teams such as the pistons, celtics, 76ers etc and kobe also had big games to save the lakers in order to win championships..and they played against great teams such as the spurs etc
LeBron James = GOAT
Thats Greatest Of All Time if you were wondering. Thats of ALL TIME. Not just basketball. Not just sports. EVER. and to think he is only 22. People say that 'everything is going Lebrons way' when he hits most of his jumpers. But I would have to disagree with that, if he cannot hit the jumpers then we should say 'nothing is going Lebrons way' and if he nails most of the jumpers then its just a normal game for him nothing awe about that.
This kid is a super human. Kobe-esque.
There was no question he was capable of a game like that, it was only a matter of time. Kid was created to be able to dominate a sport (any sport) like that.
Someone said "It is easy for Lebron James to be fearless when driving to the hoop because he has the NBA Referees on his side. How can the rough and tough defense of the Pistons stop countless drives if there will always be a foul called."
-You've must be a die hard Pistons fan... I don't care either way but there were a number of fouls that weren't called for James or Sheed. A lot of Lebron's shots were jump shots as well. Knifing through a triple team does not constitutre getting out of the way. What about the play where Prince just cowered under the basket. He was afraid to foul? Come on get some perspecitve. I don't really understand the people dropping Tim Duncan and Penny Hardaway statlines. Did you even watch the game? The reason people are talking about this game has nothing to do with stats. Few times has a game been taken over and dominated by one player to this extent. Did you see the shots he was hitting? He had more game clutch game tying/winning shots than I can count. Every shot he hit in the OTS were do or die. I'm not comparing him or the performance to any other, I'm just saying it was unbelievable.
Detroit fans can critize LeBron all they want. The fact remains- he has done more at the age of 22 then any player in NBA history. Also, LeBron was the first to say that they have another game to play and cannot loose focus. What he did was amazing. No one can ever deny him that. LETS GO CAVS!
What game were the powers that be watching to say that this was the greatest game ever?....What about Magic Johnson when he scored 44 playing at the center position? In fact as an avid fan of the game, I would not consider this one of the greatest games or 2 elite teams going at it. It's merely hype to try and convince people Lebron is the greatest player inorder to put more money in the leagues pockets. After all, when you have someone like Kobe who has sincerely surpassed all expectations of what an athlete can do on the court and has constantly been overlooked why would one even bother to listen to the media who obviously has ulterior motives going on. When players like Kobe came into the league they were not instanly given
a green light to do whatever as Lebron, Melo,and Wade were they had to wait, after all there were other players to. If you're going to tell it, tell it right. Lebron travels quite a bit,doesn't get many fouls called on him, and there definetly is a double standard as far as when he shoots, and mind u he shoots alot its great decision making, when Kobe does the same its deemed selfish. Lebron got 48 points....but it was in 2 overtimes. I've seen greater performances, his potential is much, however Kobe is a Shining Star.....you're eyes are open but u refuse to see. If u keep overlooking him the world may not get to see what this young man has to really offer, he was due mvp and overlooked, if Kobe did not get the honors the way he has played, truly the award should not have been given out. Seriously critics have to stop complaning ever time LBJ has a great game. Lebron beat the Pistons.... thats it, nothing else all you guys do is dig up bad stuff about him to try to make it look like he didnt do any thing good... hands down better than dwade or kobe!
How does the best playoff performance of all time end in a 2 point double-overtime victory? If the total performance were that good, shouldn't his team have won by 40?
Hard to believe anyone is still watching the NBA after Stu Jackson and David Stern screwed the Suns over so badly. 2007 - San Antonio Spurs * Lebron was off-the charts. But before we crown him the greatest of all time as cavs fans would have us believe lets see if he can win at least one championship, please. He was in a zone and willed his team to victory under extreme pressure which makes his performance remarkable but to win it all a great team will always beat a great player. The cavs and the pistons are evenly matched as the scores of each game attests to. The spurs on the other hand, can match cleveland's superstar with a hall of famer in Tim Duncan and two very good players,parker and ginoili. I'm not a spurs fan but if Lebron can will his inferior team to victory over the spurs then I will jump on his bandwagon. But unfortunitely the spurs will probably win with BORING team work and the bandwagon fans who called him the greatest of all time will make excuses for him, his age, 22, or his lack of supporting cast. The worst thing that could happen to the NBA is for Lebron to win the Title by himself. I can see high school coaches now, trying to teach thier students the value of teamwork but are frustrated when these players are trying to copy Lebron by shooting everytime they have the ball, even if an entire team is guarding them. You really can't blame James because he is simply a product of our twisted society. Lebron is self absorbed, the name King James speaks of arrorgance and entitlement, he is the new icon of the NBA which really doesn't value sacrifice or
teamwork but only hero worship of the most gifted. The main reason we will not win a gold medal in baketball anymore is because the world has taken our game and applied the value of teamwork better than we can ever imagine. The only reason one player can win a basketball game himself here is because the NBA permits it with its silly officiating rules and preferencial treatment of stars. The NBA is a TV show concerned more about viewer ratings than teaching the correct way to play the game. You notice when our hotshot stars go overseas to play they complain about not getting the calls or how rough the opposition plays when they lose instead of complementing thier opponents superior team work as the reason for thier own failures.That is because the NBA has spoiled our players for so long that even when we try to train them about teamwork, they fall back to thier old habits which only considers ME instead of WE. Go spurs! His performance is getting overhyped just like the criticisms of him have been overhyped. All that aside, it was still one of the great playoff performances ever (maybe top 25).
Thing is, LBJ is nowhere close to his peak yet. His jumpshot needs work, his postgame can improve, his leadership and decision-making can get better, and his FTs should also improve. If the Cavs can close out the Pistons in game 6 then LBJ takes another step up in my book. I expect Pop and the Spurs to thump Brown and the Cavs, though. Kobe lovers who think he would have gotten criticized for that kind of performance are out of your minds. Lebron tries to get his teammates involved, he hits them with amazing passes to set them up for wide open looks and they still couldn't score. He had to take the game over. Kobe hates passing and does it only because he doesn't want to get criticized. If Kobe was playing that game instead of Lebron, the Cavs would have gotten beat by 20 points and Kobe would have quit trying late in the 3rd quarter and cried about how he needs a team around him. Lebron needs a team too but he's making due without it for right now.
It's awfully premature to label Lebron's performance as the "greatest of all-time." I'm still a believer in Jordan's (Game 5 1998 Finals v. Utah) flu game as the single most riveting performance in NBA history. In addition, Jordan's consistent excellence in crunchtime will always trump a one-off (for now) performance. Besides, I hope I'm not the only viewer troubled by Lebron's penchant for "air-mailing" big shots. He hit some last night, but I'm hardly surprised anymore when he steps back and throws some trash up there.
"It is easy for Lebron James to be fearless when driving to the hoop because he has the NBA Referees on his side. How can the rough and tough defense of the Pistons stop countless drives if there will always be a foul called." Ummm, excuse me, but the one who sent this one was clearly needs eyeglasses or lasik surgery LOLz! Lebron was clearly fouled on that last play, when he made it 2.2 seconds left on the 2nd overtime! I'm not a Lebron fan, and i didn't watch the game last night, my jaw just dropped when i saw the highlight this morning, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!" I thought it was a win by Detroit but i was wrong! And i am glad i'm wrong, how i wish it would be Cavs and Spurs as the NBA FINALS at least like the other comments before, it wouldn't be as boring as the last DETROIT vs SAN ANTONIO Finals. At least i may add, i will be WATCHING if it's CAVS and SPURS! Well, my team lost so, got to watch a great series right? And i bet it will be if those two will be it! Just make it the Cavs this time, coz we all know what's gonna happen if Detroit gets in., it'll be the Spurs all over again. But with Lebron it might get a little bit interesting, not that they will beat the Spurs but they might! Go Cavs!!!!
Question is, who's gonna play Scottie to LeBron's Michael? LeBron might've become too good too soon to allow Cleveland to draft the second very good/great player they'll probably need to win a championship
Pistons win the next two games...game six is close and game seven is a blowout. Unfortunately, Lebron will have to repeat that game five performance to win again...this is coming from a pistons hater too!
To the person who uttered the racist comment in response to the claim that an European defense would not have allowed James to control the later part of the game as he did, just remember that the US team is not even the current FIBA champion, it is Spain, and that the original poster's claim of an European defense having more chance to stop James than the Piston's is as conjectural as your assuming that any person who criticizes the player you revere and puts Europe in a good light must be French.
Jorge. That was without a doubt the best single game performance I have seen since Jordan played. It is what it is. I'm not saying that he would go to the Hall of Fame if he retired before game 6 but, give the man credit. This can definitely hang with Jordan's 63 (in a loss) against the Celtics. Our excitement at that game was justified and MJ didn't have rings yet and he lost the series.
Comparing Lebron to MJ is like saying Led Zeppelin sucked because they weren't The Beatles. It is what it is just enjoy it. The officials missed OBVIOUS FOULS BY DETROIT in crucial moments of the game. 23 was fouled on the game winner and on another play in the closing seconds. The folks in Motown need to grow up. It's not our fault that the Pistons are going to join the Dead Wings. Maybe Bertuzzi could tell McDyess how to "foul like a man" A bit premature to say it's the greatest performance EVER. Michael was always Michael, and the league took his greatness for granted.
Being said, LeBron's outrageous performance will stand the test of NBA lore, but hard to say now if it's the best of the best... certainly close. "I can see high school coaches now, trying to teach thier students the value of teamwork but are frustrated when these players are trying to copy Lebron by shooting everytime they have the ball, even if an entire team is guarding them."
You must be thinking of Kobe. Copying LeBron would mean averaging 8.5 assists, 8 boards, 27 pts, 47% FG, and 3 steals a game (like he's doing in this series). How is that selfish play? Don't forget how he got slammed for passing to an open teammate at the end of game 1. did you notice that LJ had a wound on his right hand that he kept licking during the game? i think he wanted blood last night & sucked it out of the pistons.
Its amazing to me how much hype exists in today's society.
Without question last night was one of the best individual performances in a playoff game ever. That being said lets see him do it on the big stage. Wade shot 60% for the series against the Pistons last year and then followed that up with one of the best Finals performaces in recent history. LeBron showed me a lot last night. I just wish everyone would shut up and see if he can follow it up with another epic performance. As Denny Green said, "If you want to crown him already well then crown his @ss." funny how a remarkable performance gets LBJ crowned as amazing when if Kobe did it, he would be a selfish ballhog, especially the last 25 pts thing...think about it, preach.
Please all of you saying LeBron's teamates suck are full of it. Have you forgotten Gooden and Gibson in game 4? LeBron had a great game, he is on the same level as Wade right now. and LeBron has not been great enough for him to be in the same sentence as Jordan, Magic, Bird etc. People, enjoy, the playoffs and stop complaining, if you think the NBA is wack, you're probably an NHL fan and shouldn't be taken seriously anyways.The ratings might not be high in America, but you go anywhere else in the world and you will understand that spoilt Americans don't appreciate probably the greatest sport in the world right now.
Seems like everyone forgot about another 48 point performance by a 22 year old in the playoffs. This was in a closeout game mind you. Everyone wants to love LeBron, but what has he done?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2001/playoffs/news/2001/05/13/lakers_kings_ap/ While I am a HUGE Lebron fan, I dislike the comparisons to MJ and other NBA greats. I am a hardcore MJ fan and I watched approximately 80 Percent (the other 20 I watched all the highlights of) of MJ's games in his career (including college), and Lebron has much work to do to even be in the same sentence as Jordan. I have also watched Lebron play since he was in high school. Also, Kobe, D-Wade, AI and whoever else reigns in the NBA right now has much work to do. When they record 6 Championships, 5 MVP's, lead the league in scoring 10 times, lead the league in scoring AND steals 3 times, avg 41/game in NBA FINALS, record 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block WITH A SEVERE CASE OF STOMACH FLU IN THE NBA FINALS, win 70 games in one season followed by a 69 win season, nail 38 game winning shots, and record 51 points and 7 rebounds at age 38, say something then. It's a travesty to all involved in the comparisons. Let these players play their own game and make their own history in their own right. The era's are different. Not as much contact is allowed in today's NBA. WHY doesn't anybody remember the HANDCHECK that was allowed along with the "Bad Boys' Defense of the 80's??!! Being physical in the NBA means less points scored by anyone no matter who you are, bottom line. Jordan still took that "D" and became the greatest player ever. Until these players of the current NBA appreciate Jordan, and accumulate all or 90 percent of the above accomplishments along with all the other over 100 records he holds, they will not have a leg to stand on when their careers are over and its judgement day. Please remember I love watching great players like Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade, AI, because I just LOVE the game of basketball, but the comparisons have to STOP. Whats wonderful is that some day we will all say "you remember Lebrons break-out playoff game 20 years ago?", and we'll all reminisce and applaud and compare our thoughts again. These players exude greatness in their own way, and we should all feel fortunate and appreciative that we get to watch these amazing athletes perform at such a high level. However, the current generation of NBA players have much work to do to be considered among the all-time greats. Looks like Lebron has made another small step toward that goal. GO CAVS.
LBJ went 10-14 from the field when he scored 29 of the last 30 pts while his teammates went 0-10. AND his team won the game. If Kobe did that he wouldn't be criticized either.
But when your hall of fame ex-teammates (Shaq, Malone, Payton) think you are a selfish ballhog, chances are you probably are. A lot of people will never understand how great LeBron's performance was last night. The Pistons were playing a zone defense towards the end of the game and this wasn't a week zone, LeBron was so high on something else he was able to take on all five pistons and score, now this might not have been the best defense given how hot LeBron was but it was the right defense given that it was a close game and they wanted to slow LeBron down. Give LeBron and his team the credit for their wins and give Detroit their credit for their wins. People need to stop hating and critizing people instead of honoring a great playoff series.
Doesn't anyone know that most refs don't call stupid fouls in the 4th quarter. Mike Brown set up that last play in Game 2 JUST TO DRAW THE FOUL. It's like the hack-a-shack strategy, it's legal, but it might as well be cheating.
They didn't call it because of course it would have changed the outcome of the game, that was the entire point! Yeah Lebron worked that win out last night, but I'm sorry, for Cavs fans to moan about Game 2 is just crap. Mike Brown sets up every play to take advantage of the new isolation rules that clearly work to the advantage of Lebron. IF THE DETROIT BAD BOYS were to guard Lebron today, they'd all foul out before the half. Stupid officiating=longer games=more revenues=more commercials that we can show Lebron in. So if the Pistons end up winning at cleveland and game 7 at the Palace, will this excuse come up again? I can just hear it now, "Oh, Cleveland had game 2 the refs just didnt' call it" when it will really be "Oh, the media hyped up Basketball's darling child to the point that they choked, hard." The performance was amazing last night... forget about the stat line and think about the performance. Say what you want about ghost fouls but the fact is the pistons wanted nothing to do with LeBron last night. Tayshaun backing out from the poster on Lebron's first dunk with a minute left then Tayshaun shoving him in the back when he dunks it again to tie the game (no foul called b/c he is too strong and still flushed it). He answered C-Webb's questionable 3 point play with a fadeaway 3 over a double team right in front of Detroit's bench (if he misses that they lose). He shook Chauncey bad going behind the back and shooting a long jumper to extend the lead. He even had a clutch steal on the baseline with his team down 2 and then forced tayshaun into a backcourt violation (first time for everything, even Lebron's defense). Of course he has a lot more to do to be considered the greatest ever or really to be considered but he won last night on a big stage with tremendous pressure. LBJ, Varajeo (energy only), Snow (defense only), Marshall (worthless other than the one out of 20 games he hits a three), and Pavolovic (not that bad). Against C-Webb and Sheed (2 of the top 20 PF of all time although maybe past their prime), chauncey and rip (2 of the top clutch guards in this era) and Tayshaun (defensive specialist except when he plays lebron). In the palace in a swing game 5 after all the criticism he's taken this year. I'm just gonna enjoy this one until Saturday night when I'm gonna expect even more.
Boring only if your team is not in it!
Spurs have been incredibly exciting. Manu, Parker, Duncan, Horry, etc. Awesome! They play "team" ball. Sounds foreign to many of you, huh? Lebron is great. But he's probably being set up for a big fall. Same with Kobe. He is incredibly talented, but he was made out to be the next Jordan. He was consumed by his own hype. I hope Lebron is smart enough to avoid following the one-man team myth. I would love to see a Cavs/Spurs finals. Anyone else..?
I get so emotional talking about LeBron because he has put so much heart out there and its going to be sad to see him crushed when the Pistons win this. DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET-RIOT BASKETBALL!!
Curt from VA says:
Before everyone starts crowning "king james" as the BEST NBA PLAYER EVER, as the sports media did before Lebron even graduated high school; how about earing some RINGS before you even put him in MJ's league. Lebron is good but he aint kobe.
To everyone saying that 23 was being selfish you should keep in mind that through the first three and half quarters he had less than 20 points. He had been feeding his teammates the entire game up til then.
Isn't this the same Tayshun Prince that locked down Kobe in the Finals a few years ago? I really don't want to see the Spurs win the title. Not because they're boring (but good), or because Bowen's deliberately tries to injure vulnerable players (which he does), or not even because they were given the series against the Suns (who were a better team). I don't want them to win because I want variety. That's all. Whoever said that the Spurs don't whine has never watched the Spurs especially Duncan play before. For everyone who says Lebron gets every call he wants from the referees, look at the final drive from game 5 - he was held and hacked and there was no call. Refs will call a foul if there's a foul - they won't see them all and they may anticipate some and wrongly call them. That last drive proved he doesn't get EVERY call. His strength made that shot and won the game.
Great performance, one of the best in history, but let's leave it at that for now. Compare his performance with MJ's 63, but not their careers yet. He may be well on his way to being the greatest of all time, but he has some work to due, as outlined by the many comments left already.
The Spurs are boring and with the exception of people in SA, no one really cares for them to win. I'll admit they're a great team, but what the NBA needs are superstars. People want to admire the superstars, the ones who transcends being a great player to being a legend. Ordinary people deal with bad, good, and great teams in their normal worklife. We want to be something more, something greater. That was what MJ, Magic, Bird, etc became. That is where Lebron may be heading. That is why no one likes the Spurs. Fantastic effort by LeBron, I looked at the highlights again and am still trying to figure out some of the shots he made. It wasn't like Detroit wasn't defending him.
Hakeem Mojadidi People, stop being hypocrites. Stop calling Lebron or Kobe selfish. I'm sure everyone who has played basketball fantasized about taking over the game, counting down to yourself the time left, hitting the game winning shot. I don't think you'd dream about passing ball to a teammate to make the winning basket. Am I Wrong?
In one interview Mike Brown said that he dosen't call that many plays, he lets LBJ do the play calling most of the game.
Game 5 could be one of the worst BASKETBALL games I have ever seen. Sure LeBron was spectacular, hitting some unbelieveable shots, but as a basketball game goes it was awful.
As mentioned in the article - "Can the best player in the world beat the best team in the world? The Finals ... Thursday at 9." Is that really how any sport wants to be marketed. To see one player gain possession of the ball and take on the entire opposing team? Do the Cavs even run an offense? It seems they have 2 plays: (1) Lebron gets the ball at the top of the three point line and takes on the entire Piston defense - either goes to the hole or takes an off-balance shot, or (2) someone attempts to screen for Lebron put is so inept offensively that Lebron has no choice but to go 1 on 2. Yes Lebron is great, but from a basketball point of view these games are brutal to watch. It is hard to argue that watching the Suns, Warriors, or even the Raptors is far more entertaining. Enough said! Its heresy to compare LeBron with HRH, MJ. And HRH stands for His Royal HIGHNESS, or should I say AIRNESS !!!
Let's look at some facts before criticizing Lebron's performance last night. FACT: Lebron is already top 5 all-time for playoff scoring average. FACT: Kobe has never scored over 40 points in a playoff game. FACT: Michael Jordan never won anything until Pippen joined the Bulls.
Who is the Hall of Fame player on the Cavs? Some of you people need to check your brains and leave your haterade at the door because its throwing your sense of history off-That was a top 10 all-time playoff performance BAR NONE against an all NBA second team defender and one of the top defensive NBA teams. PERIOD. Cavs will be lucky to win game 6. LeBron won't be that hot again and since he has four other "players" on his team that won't and can't help, Detroit will win game 6 and the series, just like last season. LeBron deserves a ton of credit though, by far the most amazing playoff game since the Jordan days. This was LeBron's night and he deserves all the credit for single handidly carrying a team past Detroit. I wonder when the Pistons will start giving the Cav's the respect they deserve and start treating them like the tough opponent they are. I am sick of seeing Chauncey Billups turn the ball over and miss a three pointer and then run down court smiling like everything is good. That's what got them into the hole and if they don't realize their mistake it will be over before they know it.
Let's not forget Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. He scored 42 with 15 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals to clinch the championship and he was only 20 years old! This performance came on the road in Philadelphia with league MVP, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, resting his sort ankle back in L.A. LeBron's performance was definitely one for the ages, but not quite the best ever.
"Larry Bird is still the best... Scoring 48 proves nothing unless you can make the players around you better and LeBron has not done that yet...He can't win this series on his own, it will be intresting to see if the Cavs can pull this out"
Lebron is one of the most unselfish stars in the league. You have to be dumb to say he doesn't make his team better when he is averaging 7 assists a game I offer a different opinion about the "boring boys from Texas." The Spurs are not boring, they are fundementally sound! I think the young buck that made that comment does not understand the difference between teamwork and showboating. I will take the Spurs over any team in playoffs this season.
We need to get back to teaching young guys how to play the game, and not how to get your picture on the cover of SI. The boring boys from TX, do it right from management...down the line LeBron had a monster game, there is no denying it. As far as a legacy goes, yes, he is carrying his team deep into the playoffs at a much younger age than those before him. Let's not forget, however, that this is the Eastern Conference in 2007. The Pistons are labelled as a great defence because they shut down teams in the East who can't score. They themselves can't score, either. LeBron is not facing Bird's Celtics, Isiah's Pistons, Jordan's Bulls or even Ewing's Knicks. It's not the same.
Lebron really put it all on the line. He looked like he was gonna die at the end of the game and his teammates looked like the didn't even break a sweat. The guy was awsome last night. But the rest of the Cavs need more movement when he has the ball.
You Kobe haters are ridiculous.
Shaky jumpshot. Terrible help AND man d. Misses free throws. Lebron #1? Please. If you Cleveland fans and bandwagonners weren't so delusional, you would know to not even bring in roster vs. roster comparisons. Both Odom and Hughes are arguably 2nd-tier stars that play well with established superstars. The rest of the rosters on both teams is no contest. In every position except Bryant vs James, Cleveland holds every advantage, including the bench. Ilgauskus & Gooden > Miss-layup Brown, Mihm, or soft-as-shit Bynum. Marshall and Gibson can hit shots. Radmonavic can't even get off the injured list. Parker can't even hit layups. Varejao > Turiaf. With the exception of Damon Jones, the entire Cleveland team is better defensively at EVERY position except SG, where Kobe wins hands down. Don't get me wrong, Cleveland's front office did a great job surrounding james with good defenders and spot-up shooter roleplayers. Lakers front office hasn't done jack. Switch Kobe for Lebron and the Cavs would be in the Finals already, instead of having to play 6 games. Lebron would be stuck with a sub-30 win record. As "dave" said in an above post, "That's three straight against Detroit, and the first two wins were not solo LBJ efforts. His teammates and coaches are not incapable of helping - as the article implies." Kobe's team, however, are incapable of helping. Detroit just has to throw double teams at Lebron at the top of the key with the zone to get the ball out of his hands (not with Webber though; he has no lateral movement to stay with him). The few times they did it in OT, Cleveland had no answer, but Detroit got arrogant down the stretch and tried to guard him one on one and play the isolation; and no one can stop him one on one.
Enough belly aching from Pistons fans about the refs and how you have to let everyone go to the hole without touching them. If that were the case the Cavs would have won game 2 on the Lebron hack no call and the Pistons wouldn't have had the chance to tie in Game 5 regulation. Looks like Detroit will "Just have to try something different" AGAIN, to stop the Chosen One.
Well, LeBron was the most dominant player last night since Jordan last played in the playoffs. LeBron deserves a ton of credit and he single handidly carried the Cavs to the win. He sigle handidly put the Pistons on the brink of defeat with NO HELP AT ALL. That is the most pathetic thing about the Pistons, they talked about how their whole plain was to shut down LeBron and force others to do things. LeBron tore right through Detroit and Saunders failed to recognize this and for some reason he didn't doulble team him. A lot of the blame should go on Saunders and he should be on the hot seat if Detroit does lose. The Cavs do deserve a lot of credit (more like LeBron) but part of the problem is detroit's attitude. They think they are better than everyone and that winning for them is a chore and they will try hard when they want. This is apparent when Chauncey misses a shot or turns it over and runs down court smiling like its no big deal. Detroit, give the Cavs some damn credit, I am sick of Detroit's cockiness and their thoughts that the cavs don't belong here. This could be over before Detroit realizes. I am a Pistons fan to death but this is just pathetic and dissapointing. I accept losing when you put in your best effort, but when you don't play as hard as possible, that's when I get pissed.
Yak tak yak. Just watch the play offs and have some fun. Its ridiculous to even want to compare someone who is in his second playoff ever against a retired legend. Wait till he's 28 before you even start looking to compare. In the meanwhile, just enjoy. I like his all round game which includes a healthy appetite for assists. Also, last night he was phenomenal. So lets leave it at that.
you must be joking.. cavs haven't won anything yet, had they started in the western conference they'd be gone already.
I saw the game and once the game was over he was bent over out of breathe , and tired to even talk through the interview with Craig Sager. Detroit will come back. If Detroit would stop double teaming Lebron and just play him man to man, and shutting off all the other players on the Cavs. detroit will win. There is no way Lebron could score up to 80 by himself he isn't a a clutch shooter like Kobe. Detroit needs to cut all of the cavaliers players to win.
Someone asked where were Kobe, Nash, Nowitzki and other stars in the Western Conference ... well, if the NBA weren't played by conference but as one BIG conference where teams were seeded properly (like the NCAA), they'd still be playing and you wouldn't see the Pistons or the Cavaliers in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference is a JOKE. Stern knows this, and the only way he can remedy the situation is to provide some assistance to the Superstars who play in the lowly Eastern Conference. That's why you have phantom calls against defenders of D-Wade and Lebron. Don't expect anything to change in the finals -- in fact, you can pretty much skip the finals. Stern has his favorites and he'll make sure that those favorites win.
As for Lebron's play on Thursday night...it's pretty easy to get a bunch of baskets when the best defender is ejected from the game. A better example is Dirk's 50 points when the Mavs were trailing the Suns in game 5 of the 2006 Western Conference Finals. If Lebron had scored 48 points against a Western conference powerhouse, well, then maybe I would be more inclined to give him his due. But not yet -- no matter how much the Eastern media (who are desperate for any kind of story) wishes it were so. best playoff performance ever??? have you forgotten michael jordan's 63 point game against larry bird's boston celtics?
This game marked not one, but two milestones in the NBA. First, it was the official corination of LeBron James as the most dominant player on the planet, a title he will hold for the next ten years. Second, and equally as important, is the official end of the Pistons as an elite team in this league. Look for a proper dismantling and potential coaching changes for a team that will no longer draw the respect it once garnered from the league.
John I hear some people say that cleveland is not a good team..well good or not, they are playing in the eastern conference finals. Whether the wizards were depleted or not, it was the same wizards team they beat last year.
Where are all the so called teams with the winning records, dallas, phoenix and now detriot is about to be sent FISHING. Yeah they are going home, this series is beyond them, they pride themselved too much in the fact that they have been down this road before...they seem to forget that their adversaries have grown considerably while they are still basking in the glory of the past. Cleveland has a shot, a very good one at that...the Spurs are not unbeatable..it will be a grind out final series and the cavs will prevail..yeah I said it... Has everyone forgotten MJ's 63 point playoff game against Larry Birds Celtics? That was a double-OT game in Boston Garden I might add.
Unreal, let the kid be a kid! He's only 22 years old, enough with all the Jordan comparisons. I know he brings some of it on himself by wearing 23 and admittedly idolizing Jordan and all that, but stop with the constant comparisons! Lebron is trying to win a title for Cleveland not auditioning on a TV show called Who Wants to be the Next MJ. STOP!
Have any of you watched the Cavs play this year? Gooden, Ilgauskas, Varejao and Hughes are ALL quality players. Just because they aren't superstars the likes of Lebron doesn't mean they have to constantly be knocked as being garbage, and anyone who does so is showing pure ignorance. This is a very good team led by a great player.
Rumor is nothing got done in Cleveland today, the trains were not running, the plains were not flying, the steel was not rolling out of the plants, and the research was not being done, James and the Cavaliers have captivated this city like no one else since the Golden Days of the Cleveland Browns...
The refs in this series have been consistenly bad for both teams.
one game, and he's now as good as or better than MJ or KOBE? let's wait till this series end and let's start another discussion.
Sure, it's one game. No need to annoint the King yet.
But LeBron is only 22. I think something special DID happen last night, considering that IIIIII AMMMMM A WITNESSSS
"the spurs are not unbeatable".
No, they're just unbeatable by Detroit or Cleveland. And enough about conspiracy theories. Stern and Jackson are idiots but they're not cheaters. Otherwise you wouldn't see two Western Conference teams taking the top two spots in the lottery. What final would we really like to see? How about Suns / Bulls. They're the only teams that play great team ball - not one on five like Detroit and Cleveland. wow whata bunch of bandwagon riders, now everyone loves lebron james(not king james, he's not royalty). I think that was game 5 right? Detroit will win this serious mark my words, closeout games are very hard to do and he hasnt proved he can really do that yet. If they do win, then expect them to be swepted by san antonio. If mj had 2 overtimes he would've scored 70, ya'll act like he did this in 4 qtrs. Oh yeah what a fake, he leans on gooden, a la mj leaning on pippen, get your own identity like the real best player in the league D Wade.
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