In the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James has been told he’s a baby. He’s been mocked for having his feelings hurt. He’s been booed and jeered and laughed at by the Golden State Warriors crowd.
But in Game 6, it was James who got the last laugh. With his Cleveland Cavaliers blowing by the Warriors late in Thursday’s fourth period, James tracked and then packed Steph Curry, swatting his lefty layup attempt out of reach.
Then after the play, LeBron stopped in his tracks to soak it all in -- and to send a few choice words the Warriors star’s way.
It was LeBron’s night to gloat. With another historic performance from its do-it-all small forward, Cleveland just made history, evening up the series at three games apiece with a 115-101 win on Thursday evening.
On to an unlikely, unexpected Game 7 we go.
Even after James' block, with the game effectively sealed, play devolved further. Curry drew his sixth and final foul on a subsequent Cleveland possession, and began to argue vehemently.
Within moments, he tossed his mouthguard into the stands and then he himself was tossed from the sidelines, sent back to the locker room -- his first-ever career ejection.
But the story of the night was James, who punched in his second consecutive 41-point outing. Finishing with a 59 percent shooting clip, James also tallied 11 dimes, eight boards, four steals and three blocks, showing off his power both in the paint and on the perimeter all night long.
The Cavaliers led from tipoff to final buzzer, with James’ play complimented by a dynamic performance from big man Tristan Thompson, whose activity in the middle, effort on the glass and hustle in transition exposed Golden State’s undersized frontline. Thompson had a double-double notched by halftime, and didn’t miss a field goal all game, pocketing a +32 +/- rating.
In fact, three of the evening's top plays came courtesy of Cavaliers players’ vision and Thompson’s off-ball movement. As James, J.R. Smith and James again rewarded their center for his work down low.
And while the Cavs began the game with an offensive onslaught, the Warriors appeared out of sync and rusty. The league’s most dynamic club put up just 11 points in the first quarter, its lowest of the year -- only managing to score one more field in that spell (five) than James.
Excepting LeBron’s fourth quarter stuffing of Steph, the most emphatic moment of the night came with a little over four minutes left in the third. An errant pass from Curry ended up in the hands of Kyrie Irving, who sent it ahead to J.R. Smith.
Smith, who’s not known for his passing, then looped up and over a no-look lob to a soaring LeBron, who slammed home the oop for a 19-point lead.
Despite his foul trouble, Curry led the way for the Warriors, totaling 30 points on 8-of-20 shooting. Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson struggled for the first two and a half quarters, before igniting a 10-run late in the third to bring the Warriors within eight.
Ultimately, however, the power of James was too much. The Warriors were held off, with tempers flying, emotions spiking and the Quicken Loans Arena crowd roaring.
And now, it all comes down to 48 minutes in Oakland on Sunday.
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