LeBron James Erupts for 46 as Cavaliers Sneak by Pacers to Even Series 1-1
The three-time defending Eastern Conference champions weren't going to fade quietly into the night in the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs, especially with LeBron James leading the way.
James dropped 46 points to guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena in Game 2 on Wednesday, evening the series at one game apiece.
The four-time MVP wasted little time sending a message after his team lost its first home game by 18. He scored the first 13 points of the contest and his team's first 16 on his way to 46 points on 17-of-24 shooting, 12 rebounds and five assists.
Despite James' heroics and an early 18-point Cleveland lead, Indiana battled back and had the opportunity to tie it in the final 30 seconds with a Victor Oladipo three-pointer that rimmed out.
James' aggressiveness out of the gates was particularly notable after head coach Tyronn Lue challenged him Monday to "set the tone early," per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
His first shot in Game 1 came with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter after his team was already down 17, but he attempted the opening shot of Wednesday's contest and consistently bullied his way to the rim while scoring 20 points in the first quarter.
The Pacers had nobody to cut off his penetration, and when they did sag off of him and dare him to shoot, he responded with two triples and a handful of step-back mid-range buckets.
James wasn't about to allow his team to fall into a 2-0 hole. Any time the Pacers crawled back within serious striking range, he was there with an answer, whether it was by drawing fouls attacking the lane or drilling shots over Myles Turner and Bojan Bogdanovic.
James going from Game 1 triple-double facilitator into a scoring machine wasn't the Cavaliers' only notable change, as Lue started JR Smith and Kyle Korver in place Jeff Green and Rodney Hood. Green went scoreless in Game 1 and Hood had just nine of Cleveland's 80 points, while Smith and Korver provided more shooting after the team finished an abysmal 23.5 percent from deep in the opening loss.
Korver answered the call with four three-pointers and 12 points, while Smith tallied a critical steal and layup in the closing stretch while guarding Oladipo. Kevin Love added 15 points and eight boards, but he missed the final three minutes after apparently injuring his finger in a setback that could prove problematic for the Cavaliers if it lingers.
In the first game, Cleveland lost because of its typically strong offense instead of its second-to-last-ranked defense, per NBA.com. In Game 2, the Cavaliers again held the Pacers to less than 100 points and caught an early break when Oladipo went to the bench with two quick fouls.
Cleveland also forced 17 turnovers, six of which came from Oladipo, which prevented the Pacers from overcoming the initial hole.
Oladipo played well for stretches, slicing through the lane and serving as a willing passer when double-teams came his way. He finished with 22 points and six assists, while Turner was a matchup problem for Cleveland's frontcourt with his footwork, touch around the rim and ability to stretch to the perimeter.
Turner chipped in 18 points, Darren Collison added 16 and the Pacers didn't go away behind their relentless penetration and tendency to create looks in the pace.
In the end, though, Oladipo came up just short on the would-be game-tying triple.
Despite Wednesday's loss, the Pacers can take solace knowing the series shifts back to Indiana on Friday for Game 3. They have the opportunity to seize control of the series if they defend their home court and find a way to contain James in the next two contests.
