Fatal blows from LeBron and Kiefer
Although James is used to delivering such magical shots--he is a three-time NBA champ, anyways--the King’s latest heroic was still called “very special” by Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue.
You are LeBron James and you make a buzzer-beater, isn’t that ordinary? On Thursday, James jumped for a fall-away with time expiring that connected, giving Cleveland a “cleansing” 140-138 overtime win over Minnesota.
“Cleansing” was used to describe the Cavaliers’ win because it snapped Cleveland’s eightgame losing streak.
Although James is used to delivering such magical shots-he is a three-time NBA champ, anyways--the King’s latest heroic was still called “very special” by Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue.
“The way we’ve been playing, we needed that,” said Lue, who was back coaching after falling ill the night before. “He was very special.”
It was a night to remember yet again, when James was at his deadliest anew.
He finished with 37 points to highlight another incredible triple double that also saw him grab 10 rebounds and issue 15 assists in 48 minutes.
“It was a good win, but our record still stinks on national television,” James told AP (Associated Press). He scored nine points and assisted on Cleveland’s other basket in overtime in an all-around game that put to waste Minnesota’s season-high 19 triples.
James also passed Zydrunas Ilgauskas (5,904) on Cleveland’s career rebounds list, drawing praise from even the coach of the opposing team.
“One second in the game, it’s a tough day--and he made a hell of a shot,” Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. “...LeBron was in command of the game offensively and handling the basketball. LeBron can read the game better than anyone in the league.”
Still, despite the win, Cleveland management still shipped off six of its veteran players the following day, including biggies Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose and Dywane Wade.
Thomas, formerly a Boston star, was in exchange for the Lakers’ Larry Nance Jr. and FilAm Jordan Clarkson. The spin was for Cleveland to hire younger legs--Thomas, Rose and Wade on the wane obviously already.
Back home, we’ve just seen Kiefer Ravena do a LeBron James shot.
On Friday, Ravena rattled in a shot similar to that of LeBron’s--a fadeaway also left of the key with .09 of a second left that gave NLEx an 87-85 squeaker over Meralco.
Was Ravena inspired by LeBron’s shot fired just the other night, Thursday?
Like LeBron sinking the game-winner over the outstretched arms of Jimmy Butler, Ravena released his also over the umbrella-like hands of Chris Newsome.