2. Another vintage LeBron performance
Following the game, Lue was asked where to rank this game from James among his previous dominant performances:
Where does Coach Lue rank this Game 7 for @KingJames?
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 28, 2018
"The best."#WhateverItTakes https://t.co/lEJKrDkg6q
While a 35-15-9 stat line is amazing in its own right, the fact that James was on the court for all 48 minutes of the game, considering the load he has handled over the course of the regular season and the playoffs, was simply incredible.
Incredibly, and despite having no rest, James registered 12 points, four assists and three rebounds in the final quarter, including a coast-to-coast and-1 with just over a minute remaining in the game.
In such a tense contest, and with a trip to the Finals on the line, the manner in which James was able to control the tempo of the game and adjust to what the Celtics’ defense threw at him was remarkable.
LeBron James goes for 35 PTS, 15 REB, 9 AST as the @cavs advance to their 4th straight #NBAFinals!#WhateverItTakes #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/7VrBNJFnjM
— NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2018
In addition to Lue, Celtics’ head coach Brad Stevens was also simply in awe of James’ stamp on the game:
"He's unbelievable. It's ridiculous."
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 28, 2018
Brad Stevens on @KingJames #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/U4tU1uKcbh
Considering the absence of Love and the quality of his supporting cast, it’s hard not to place this Game 7 among the absolute best of James’ career.