LeBron James came into Thursday night’s Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers needing 12 points to pass Kobe Bryant for third on the all-time playoffs scoring list. He also needed to make four three-pointers to pass Bryant on the all-time playoffs three-point field goals made list.
LeBron James’ big night
To no one’s surprise, James was able to surpass Bryant in both starts with a masterpiece performance, recording 41 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, two blocks, a steal, and six three-pointers made to lead a furious second-half rally by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James also recorded his 17th playoffs career triple-double.
James is now ranked third in playoffs scoring and fourth in playoffs three-pointers made. He is 92 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in scoring and another 317 points from passing the great Michael Jordan. However, the most important thing for LeBron was the huge road victory to give the Cavaliers a commanding 3-0 lead over the Pacers.
Cleveland’s historic comeback
Cavaliers tied the NBA record for largest playoffs comeback, as they were down by as many as 26 points. The only other team to accomplish that feat was the Los Angeles Clippers, coming from behind to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2012 playoffs after facing a 26-point deficit as well.
No Love or Irving
The most stunning part of Cleveland’s comeback was that Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were both riding the bench throughout the entire fourth quarter. The two had 13 points apiece in 27 and 28 minutes, respectively.
The Cavaliers had a lineup of Channing Frye, Deron Williams, Iman Shumpert/J.R. Smith, and Kyle Korver surrounding LeBron James in the final period to outscore the Pacers by 12 en route to the win.
For the Pacers, Paul George led the way with 36 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough.
After allowing 74 first-half points, the Cavaliers defense was absolutely suffocating in the second half, holding the Pacers to 40 points. Cleveland’s ball movement was also flawless, which overwhelmed Indiana. It was basically LeBron surrounded by terrific outside shooters, which hardly ever fails due to the amount of attention James grabs and the space he provides for his shooters.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers will now have the opportunity to close out the series in Indiana on Sunday, which will be televised on ABC at 1 pm Eastern Time. Of course, no team has come back from a 3-0 series deficit, and the Cavaliers will look to knock out the Pacers as quickly as possible to earn a lengthy well-deserved rest before playing in the second round.
