When Lebron gets heated up, Boston melts instantly
LeBron James showed us why we spend our hard-earned money to fill stadiums, waste countless hours shouting at televisions and invest so much emotionally in numbers on scoreboards. He reminded us why we love sports.
With every purposeful stroke Thursday night in his museum-worthy masterpiece against the Boston Celtics, James made the answer clear: the opportunity to witness greatness. The NBA’s most skilled player satisfied our craving during a video game-like 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist performance for the visiting Miami Heat, who staved off elimination with a 98-79 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. The decisive Game 7 is Saturday night in Miami.
Facing another summer’s worth of questions about his failure in the postseason, James delivered a preemptive, in-your-face response to all the talking heads and Twitter haters eager to watch him fall again. James not only delivered while shouldering the Heat’s burdensome, self-stated championship expectations, he attacked the challenge with a level of ferocity and flair unseen since Michael Jordan was establishing his second-to-none legacy.
James missed only seven of 26 field goal attempts despite the Celtics’ best efforts to stop him, or at least slow his thoroughbred-like stride from the opening tip-off. He played all but three minutes – including every one in a 30-point first half.
This wasn’t merely a great game, of which James has had many. It was James at his historic best: He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to produce at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game (Chamberlain’s wayback stat line was 50, 15 and six).