Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. Pacers

1. The King reigns supreme

Despite his triple-double in Game 1, many wanted to see LeBron do more in the early parts of the game, setting a tone for his teammates instead of trying to get them into a rhythm.

Boy did he ever, scoring the first 13 points of Game 2 for either side, en-route to a 20-point first quarter.

James would finish with 46 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, including two free throws with 22 seconds left that put the Cavs up five and essentially end Indiana’s hopes for a victory.

It was James’s 10th career playoff game with at least 40-10-5, the most since 1964, with the next closest being Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal, who each had four such games with that stat line.

Looking from a glass-half-empty perspective, it’s slightly alarming that LeBron needs to score 46 points just to eek out a three-point victory over the Pacers, but it’s also a sign of what he’s capable of doing on any given night.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Cleveland may have a roster filled with flaws and inconsistencies, but with LeBron James on its side, sometimes that’s all that matters.