CLEVELAND (AP) The situation was dire, requiring playoff dominance. LeBron James delivered.
No surprise there.
Taking matters into his own hands, James scored 46 points and added 12 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a poor performance in the series opener by holding off the Indiana Pacers 100-97 on Wednesday night to even their Eastern Conference playoff matchup at one game apiece.
Dazzling from the start, James scored the game’s first 16 points and had 29 at halftime, ruling the floor as he has done in so many previous postseasons.
»Coach Lue called up the first play for me and it went down,» James said. »So we went back to it. I was able to hit another one. And it just felt like I was in a really good rhythm, so I just tried to see how long I could stay in that zone and try to make a mark on the game early on.
»I played my game,» he said.
But in a season in which nothing has been easy for the Cavs, Cleveland was lucky that Indiana’s Victor Oladipo missed a wide-open 3-pointer that would have tied it with 27 seconds left.
»I got a clean look, I shot and I just missed,» Oladipo said, shrugging his shoulders. »If I had that look again, I would take it every time.»
Kevin Love scored 15, but Cleveland’s All-Star center jammed his left thumb – the same hand he broke earlier this season- while deflecting a pass and sat out the final 3:43 left with the Cavs clinging to a slim lead. Lue said Love could have returned and »he’s fine» for Game 3 on Friday.
As long as James is OK, the Cavs will always have a chance.
LeBron James anoto 46 puntos y recupero 12 rebotes para que los Cavaliers del Cleveland se impusieran 100-97 el miércoles en la noche a Indiana Pacers y así igualar la serie 1-1.
James salió a establecer condiciones desde el arranque cuando anoto 16 puntos en el primer cuarto y 29 al final de la primera mitad, en uno de sus mejores partidos en sus participaciones previas en postemporada.
Pero en una temporada, en la que nada a sido fácilmente para los Cavs, Cleveland se puede considerar afortunados, ya que faltando 27 segundos Victor Oladipo fallo el triple que podria ser el empate.
Kevin Love anto 15 puntos, pero la estrella de Cleveland genero un fuerte susto condolencias en su dedo izquierdo, el mismo de la fractura de comienzos de temporada, pero el equipo reporto que estará bien para el tercer partido del viernes.
Por ahora quedo claro que si James esta bien, Cleveland siempre tendrá posibilidades.