LeBron James’s record in elimination games is good but not great
James said his routine "doesn’t change."
CLEVELAND — LeBron James’s teams have faced an elimination game 21 times in the playoffs. They’ve won 12 of those games.
The Cavaliers will have to do it again Friday night to force a Game 7 in Boston and keep them in the hunt for a trip to the NBA Finals. The legend of LeBron has grown substantially in those win-or-go-home contests, so much so that the thought of a Game 7 against the Cavaliers in Boston seems daunting, even though home teams have dominated this Eastern Conference finals series. It sure has looked at times as though he relishes these moments, though James said otherwise at Cavaliers shootaround Friday.
“I don’t enjoy being in a position where it’s like you lose and go home, but we’ll just try to extend the series as long as I can and just try to put myself and my team in position to be able to continue to play,’’ James said. “I haven’t always been successful, obviously. I haven’t won every elimination game, but I’ve had some really good games and I’ve had some subpar games as well.’’
Celtics fans have a few memories of elimination-game LeBron.
He had 32 points in a Game 6 win against Boston in the 2008 Eastern semifinals that forced the Game 7 in which he scored 45 but his Cavaliers still lost. James had a spectacular Game 6 for Miami in the 2012 Eastern finals in Boston, when he scored 45 points with 15 rebounds and 5 assists to force a Game 7 that the Heat won at home. If it seems like that game might have crossed James’s mind recently, he says it hasn’t.
“What I remember from that game is we were able to extend the series, go back to Miami and keep our season going,’’ he said. “I’ve drawn nothing from that.’’
James also addressed his energy level, which appeared to be waning in Game 5 Wednesday, and said he’s sticking to his normal recovery routine. Sleep is most important for him to be at his best, he said.
“It doesn’t change,’’ James said. “It’s the same routine for me. I just try to get as much optimal sleep as possible. Stay in the training room, get your treatment, and also put in the work as well to keep your body in tune and in rhythm.’’
