TODD PORTER
Canton Repository
May 13, 2008 03:37 am
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CLEVELAND — Never mind the best record in the NBA. Never mind the best talent in the NBA. Never mind the Boston Celtics legend and lore.
Never mind Kevin Garnett’s intimidation. Monday night during Game 4 the Cavaliers stood face-to-face with the NBA’s postseason royal order to the crown and predetermined conference champs and didn’t back down.
And that was just LeBron James’ mom.
Her son hammered home a right-handed slam over Garnett late in the fourth quarter that they’ll be talking about years after LeBron’s done playing. If James thunderdunk didn’t register on the Richter Scale in Northeast Ohio, the crowd’s reaction did. That’s the kind of dunk that makes legends.
“The stuff he does, it shouldn’t amaze you,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “Because he is who he is and it’s natural for him. Sometimes I do get giddy inside and I’m glad I’m with him.
“That’s one, you know, after he did it, inside I was so pumped up I tried to flex. I didn’t have any muscles, so I flexed my jaw and gave him a five.
That was unbelievable. That was amazing.”
Quicken Loans Arena shook as LeBron’s legions screamed and waved “Witness” signs. He had a witness Monday night. Garnett had a great view.
The dunk came on the heels of a 3-pointer the King drained from 25 feet.
That was the beginning of the end to Game 4, an 88-77 Cleveland win that knotted this series at two games apiece.
“We don’t ever get a chance,” said LeBron, who had 21 points and 13 assists.
“We go into every playoff series every year and we’re supposed to lose. It happens every year. ... Every time Cleveland is in the postseason, we’re the underdog no matter who we play. We just take care of business every night, and one day, we’ll earn our respect.
“We’re a very good team and I think teams understand that. They know we’re good.”
How many times does the King do something during the course of a game that you’re sure you’ll never see again? And then he simply amazes again and again and again.
Someone brought up LeBron’s shooting percentage in this series to Doc Rivers. No 23 is shooting 25 percent in four games. So someone told River that James was struggling.
“He had 21 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and probably forced 15 fouls. We don’t look at that as LeBron struggling,” Rivers said. “He’s making plays. The (Daniel Gibson) threes don’t happen without LeBron James. ... I think he’s playing terrific.”
No, LeBron isn’t shooting well.
But there was a stretching during the fourth quarter when the game, and perhaps the series, was there for Boston’s taking. The two teams combined to miss 10 straight shots. Cleveland hung to a 3-point lead like gum to Boston’s shoe. Then LeBron fired up the moneyball from 25 feet and the Cavaliers led 79-76. Then LeBron drew a double team and popped a pass to Gibson, who nailed another 3.
The next trip down, the series was even. LeBron blew past Paul Pierce off a Joe Smith pick. He drove past James Posey and soared above Garnett, who didn’t want any part of that poster.
“Hell, he can dunk,” Rivers said. “You give him a running start at the basket and it’s probably going to be a good dunk. ... I hate the fact he got
to the basket, personally, but he did.”
Game 4 was all LeBron, but he did it all to get everyone else involved. Andy Varejao grabbed six rebounds, played Garnett one-on-one in the fourth and helped limit the All-Star to 15 points. Varejao also score 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Cleveland’s bench outscore Boston 36-17.
James got them all involved. His mom got a little too involved.
In the second, Pierce grabbed LeBron during a break-away dunk. Pierce and James entangled and sort of danced their way underneath the basket near where LeBron’s mom, Gloria sat.
Gloria James, purse in hand, went near her son and Pierce, who were not
involved in an exchange. Garnett, with a smile on his face, wrapped an arm around Gloria and helped diffuse the situation before LeBron, in no uncertain terms, told his mother to “sit your ass down.”
Hey Mothers Day was Sunday, lady. At 6-foot-81⁄2, 250 pounds, LeBron can
handle himself.
“I told her to sit down in some language I should use,” LeBron said. “Thank God today wasn’t Mothers Day.”
No, that belonged to LeBron.
Porter is a columnist for the Canton Repository. Reach him at todd.porter@cantonrep.com.
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