James Records 2nd-Ever NBA Finals Triple-Double with 40 Points

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James recorded a historic stat line in Sunday's 104-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, joining Jerry West (1969) as the only players in Finals history to record a triple-double with 40 or more points, per NBA.com/Stats.

James made 15 of his 34 field-goal attempts, three of his eight three-point attempts and seven of his nine free throws, finishing with 40 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, a steal and two turnovers in a game-high 45 minutes.

He now has six career triple-doubles in the Finals, trailing only Magic Johnson (eight) for the most in league history, with no other player having recorded more than two, per Elias Sports Bureau (via NBA.com/Stats).

James is averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists through the first five games of the ongoing Finals, giving him a reasonable shot to average a triple-double for the series if he can just pick up some extra dimes over the last game or two.

Despite making just 39.9 percent of his field-goal attempts in the series, James has emerged as the front-runner for MVP honors, whether or not his team emerges victorious.

Given the lack of support around him, James will need a herculean effort during Tuesday's Game 6 in Cleveland to push the series back to Oakland for a seventh game.