After a dominating Game 6 over the Toronto Raptors, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in the NBA Finals again
It has been expected. Even from the beginning of the season, most people were already expecting that LeBron James and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the NBA Finals after losing to last season’s champions, the Golden State Warriors.
Not even the midseason coaching change from David Blatt to Tyronn Lue had any effect to the Cavs. And in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Air Canada Center, LeBron James sealed his 6th consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, 7th overall of his career, by scoring 33 points and leading the Cavs to a 113-87 victory over the Toronto Raptors, and winning their second straight Eastern Conference Championship.
Let’s say this again: LeBron James just booked his 6th Finals appearance. He is the first non-Boston Celtic to accomplish that specific consistency and the first player to do so in the last 50 years. No wonder why the King had been emotional after Game 6.
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This is actually the first time that LeBron James scored 30 or more during the playoffs and that exactly what Tyronn Lue wanted from his superstar. LeBron did what he is supposed to do: take over the game and dictate the tone.
By the end of the night, he finished with 11 rebounds and 6 assists to go along with his 33 points. Oh, and he also blocked 3 shots. Now that’s what we call a “LeBron James kind-of-a-stat-line”. But, the King didn’t have to do everything alone.
Kevin Love, who went missing offensively in Game 3 and 4, continued his re-emergence as he scored 20 points and 12 rebounds. Love made 50 percent of his three-point attempts and all 6 of his attempts from the free-throw line. Kyrie Irving contributed 30 points and 9 assists.
If anything, this is the performance from the Big 3 that everyone was expecting to see last year and whoever they will face in the Finals will get to witness the full power of the Cavs come Game 1.
We all have to give it to Kyle Lowry and the rest of the Raptors. This season is arguably the best in their franchise history as they finished the regular season as the second-best team in the East. They also had their first trip to the ECF.
Overall, the future looks bright for Dwane Casey and his wards, assuming that DeMar DeRozan decides to stay come the beginning of the free agency this July. In Game 6 at home, Lowry scored 30 points on 11 of 22 shooting, making 6 of 12 from downtown. He also had 9 rebounds but 0 assist.
DeRozan finsihed the game with 20 points What doomed the Raptors and cost them a chance to force a Game 7? Simple: nobody on the roster aside from the two All-Star guards had scored in double digits, again. The rest of Toronto’s starters only scored 11 points.
They also struggled defensively, allowing the Cavs to make 54 percent of their shot attempts while the Raptors themselves only made 41% of their attempts. The Raptros also allowed the Cavs shooters to make 54 percent of their attempts from the three-point line while Toronto only managed to make 32 percent of their attempts from long range.
Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals is up next and the Cavs of LeBron James and company will keep their eyes on whoever they will face in the Finals. Cleveland is without a championship in any major sporting event in the last 52 years. LeBron’s sixth consecutive trip to the Finals just might end the long and nagging drought.
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And this time, the King isn’t alone. Not anymore.