CLEVELAND — LeBron James wants to do more than he did the last time out to avoid NBA Finals elimination for the Cavaliers.
“Well, should I expect more than 40 and a triple-double?” asked coach David Blatt, referring to James’ stat line in the 104-91 Game 5 loss to the Warriors Sunday.
James too often was a man on an island against Golden State. He scored 40 points. He grabbed 14 rebounds. He passed for 11 assists. And he lost. All Cavs not named “LeBron” accounted for 51 points, 23 rebounds and six assists.
So James proclaimed, “Hopefully, I can do a better job coming in on Tuesday.”
Given his lack of support in the wake of playoff injuries to Kevin Love (first round) and Kyrie Irving (Game 1 Finals), James might need to topple Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point scoring record for the Cavs to sidestep elimination in Tuesday’s Game 6 at home in Cleveland. He already has joined Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as the only players with multiple triple-doubles in the same Finals.
And he’s losing the series.
But if anyone can arise and carry a team that looks out of answers past a quicker, deeper, more balanced opponent, it’s James. He reasoned it himself.
“I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world,” James said in a declaration worth repeating. “It’s that simple.”
Almost as simple as explaining the task before the Cavaliers. This is James’ fifth straight Finals and sixth overall. He has been eliminated, he has done the eliminating. He knows the deal from every angle.
“We’re going home with a Game 6,” James said. “If we protect home like we’re capable of doing, we force a Game 7.”
Best players in the world don’t always win. But they can make life miserable for the guys trying to beat them. James is averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in these Finals.
Again, he is losing.
What can he possibly do that he has not done?
“I don’t know,” James said. “I don’t put a ceiling on what I can do. I mean, [in Game 5] I gave up two offensive rebounds…”
Slacker.
“I had a couple turnovers, a couple miscues defensively, and I’ve got to be better,” James said. “Like I said, I don’t put a ceiling on what I’m capable of doing. I know I’m shouldering a lot of the burden, but it is what it is.”
The Warriors, of course, want to finish this off in Cleveland for the obvious reason of one win means a championship. But they realize the danger inherent in allowing James to live another game. Best players in the world don’t die easily. The Warriors were proud of their Game 5 defense on James.
And he scored 40.
“That’s the player he is,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “He’s been there for years now, so you’re not going to shut him down. But if you continue to make him work hard for each and every bucket that he gets, it takes a toll on his body. He does a lot for this ballclub, on top of he’s not a guy who takes the defensive end of the court off.
“You just want to make him take tough shots. You can go throw a triple‑team at him, and he’ll probably still get 40.”