The Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from an ugly loss in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, and boy did it take a super-sized effort from Cavs superstar LeBron James to help them avoid getting behind 0-2 in the series.
James staged an unforgettable performance on Wednesday, dropping 46 points while adding 12 rebounds, five assists, and two steals while making 17 of his 24 shots from the field in 40 minutes on the floor to lead Cleveland to a 100-97 win over Indiana. James single-handedly won the game for the Cavs, as he made it a point right from the get-go that he will carry his team on his back by scoring 16-straight points in the first six minutes of the game. Only after he scored those points were the Pacers able to get their own field goal.
Reacting to James’ incredible showing, Cavs power forward Larry Nance Jr. said that “it’s hard to get surprised anymore” by such games from LeBron, but he just could not help himself but get astounded from the absurdity of what his superstar teammate just did on the basketball court.
For his part, Nance came off the bench in Game 2 and supplied just two points in 24 minutes of action, a huge difference from James’ production in the contest. Nonetheless, the Cavs won and managed to tie the series. They will travel next to Indiana for Game 3 looking to get the upper hand for the first time in the series.
Cleveland has won three of its last five visits to Indiana, though, the Cavs lost their last two trips there.