Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 5 vs. Pacers

1. The King still reigns supreme

Is anyone really that surprised by the stat line?

His 44 points on 14-of-24 shooting, 10 rebounds and eight assists were just another night at the office for Playoff LeBron.

His free throw shooting was noteworthy in this victory, as the career 73.9 percent foul shooter went 15-for-15 from the stripe.

On this night, the counting numbers weren’t even the biggest storyline with LeBron.

In the final seconds of this crucial Game 5, with the Pacers having possession of the basketball with the chance to take the lead both in the game and the series, LeBron James showed why he’s the best basketball player on the planet, and why he’s coming for Michael Jordan‘s throne.

Following a timeout after a chase-down block in the half-court on a Victor Oladipo layup attempt (which was admittedly a goaltend), James caught the ball on the right wing, dribbled left, pulled up and buried the game-winner over Thaddeus Young.

The sequence brought back memories of a mid-February game vs the Minnesota Timberwolves, where LeBron did virtually the exact same thing, while also reminding fans of his 2009 Eastern Conference Finals buzzer-beater against the Orlando Magic.

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The Cavs may not have another ball-handler, and their supporting cast continues to show shades of 2007, but on nights like this, James proved that no team is ever truly out of a game or a series when he’s got something to say about it.