Retired NBA veteran Donyell Marshall holds the league’s single game record for most three point field goals with 12 – tied with Kobe Bryant. He did it in March of 2005 while playing for the Toronto Raptors. Obviously, a performance of that magnitude deserves to be included in his greatest games list.
Interestingly, he also considers Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals as one of the best in his 14-year career. But this was a game where he went scoreless while playing sparingly. In fact, this night, by far, belonged to LeBron James. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a double overtime win on the road against the mighty Detroit Pistons who still had Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups at their forefront. James had 48 markers but none were as magical as his, also the team’s, final 25 points.
All these were revealed by Marshall to Cleveland.com’s Zack Meisel during a one-on-one interview for the Thursday Conversation.
Game 6 [in 2007], when we finally clinched to go to the Finals, was great, as well as Game 5, when LeBron had the [48 points]. I tell people who understand the game of basketball that that’s one of my greatest games. I didn’t even score a point, but I was over in the corner and the Pistons wouldn’t help off of me, so it kind of opened up the floodgates for LeBron. People don’t understand those small things like that. They help teams win. I was happy to be a part of it in that game.
For him to appreciate the significance of his role in that historic night for his teammate, and hold it with that kind of regard, speaks a lot about Marshall’s basketball IQ and selflessness. The scoreboard did not show it, but he knew how his presence was so important to James’ performance.
The Cavaliers went on to defeat the Pistons in six game en route to the franchise’s first ever finals appearance but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the process.
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The 2007 Cavs team might be more popular for being the ragtag bunch that LeBron James had to carry behind his back all the way to the finals, but it also warrants recognition as a team that thrived because of players like Donyell Marshall who only cared about the team and sacrificed whatever he can for them to advance.
