Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: LeBron James did it all for the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Wednesday night at the Cavs’ stomping grounds at the Quicken Loans Arena, The King delivered on both ends of the floor late in the game to help lift Cleveland to a 98-95 win over the Indiana Pacers to take a 3- 2 series lead.
With the game tied at 95-95 with under 10 seconds remaining and the Pacers with the possession of the leather, Indiana guard Victor Oladipo drove down the lane to attempt a layup. Fortunately for the Cavs, James was there to block Oladipo’s shot, giving Cleveland one more chance to score. And score the Cavs did, as LeBron James drilled a 25-foot 3-point shot at the buzzer to give Cleveland the crucial victory.
While he was being interviewed following the game, James was ambushed by J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson for an impromptu shower.
It was only fitting that it was the pair of Smith and Thompson who gave The King the unwritten victory tradition, as they were the two of the most ineffective players in Game 5, which is also to say that they were among those James rescued from the jaws of defeat.
While James posted a near triple-double of 44 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, Smith went 0-for-8 from the field for zero points. Thompson, meanwhile, did not even play, as he was reduced to a mere cheerleader on the bench.
The Cavs can close out the series this Friday in Indianapolis.
