'You’ve got to sacrifice your body,' says battered and bruised LeBron
James is feeling the pain as he drives Cavaliers to NBA Finals, but he won't let that stop him
LeBron James hurts everywhere, the King of Pain.
One win from taking the Cavaliers back to the NBA Finals, and one step closer to a title he covets more than any other, James leaned against a padded wall and hardly resembled basketball’s most undeniable force.
“I’m feeling all right,” he said, forcing a smile that showed he wasn’t being entirely truthful. “I’ve been better, but I’ve been worse. I think I’ve been worse.”
James moved slowly and not with his usual grace one day after his brilliant performance in Game 3 lifted Cleveland to a 114-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, moving the Cavs within a victory of their first Finals appearance since 2007.
James wore a sleeve on his right calf, which cramped so severely he asked to be taken out Sunday night before reconsidering. Instead, he pushed through the pain and delivered 37 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists – all after an 0-for-10 shooting start – to help the Cavs take a 3-0 series lead.
He’s battered, not beaten. James isn’t going to let anything stop him. Not now. Not this close to his fifth straight Finals or a championship.
“When you want to win, you’ve got to sacrifice your body feeling good,” he said. “That’s just what it’s about.”
With a win on Wednesday morning (Hong Kong time), the Cavs can clinch the Eastern Conference title and get some rest before a Finals matchup presumably against Golden State. James has been down this path before, but never one so bumpy.
Cleveland’s season has been strewn with obstacles: extreme expectations, chemistry issues, trades and injuries, including ones in the postseason to forward Kevin Love and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who has missed the past two games with an injured left knee. James has never been on a team that’s had to surmount as much.
Before the season began, James predicted this – molding a new team into a title contender – would be the greatest challenge of his career.
“I felt it would be, and it is,” he said.
The Cavs need one more win over the rising Hawks, who showed resiliency in Game 3 by overcoming a 10-point deficit in the fourth when they appeared done. One play here, one there and Atlanta wouldn’t be in a 3-0 hole that no team in league history has been able to climb from.
Despite overwhelming odds, the Hawks won’t quit.
“No matter what happens, we’re still going to be confident,” forward Paul Millsap said. “We believe in our team. We believe in the guys that we have. We feel like we can do something special, whether this year, next year, whatever. We’re going to stick to this. It’s not over ‘til it’s over.”
For James, the only ending he can envision is winning his third title and ending Cleveland’s 51-year championship drought.
“It’s been my goal since I got back here, not only to get back, but to win, win the whole thing,” he said. “That’s my goal. It’s part of my drive. That’s what it’s about.”
