LeBron James on Loss to 76ers: 'We Dug Ourselves That Hole'
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James lamented the fact that his team fell behind by 30 points in Friday night's 132-130 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, but he said the comeback effort that came up just short showcased the Cavs' upside.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com provided postgame comments from James, who tallied 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for a triple-double at the Wells Fargo Center.
"I mean, we dug ourselves that hole," he said. "So, we're a prideful team and the only way we get back into the game was just kind of get scrappy and play a little bit more physical, make some shots. But no, listen, we was down 30 and for us to come all the way back, it just shows what we're capable of doing."
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue agreed with that assessment and gave credit to the Sixers, who are riding a 13-game winning and leapfrogged Cleveland into third place in the Eastern Conference.
"We could've just gave in, but the guys showed pride and came out and fought tonight," Lue told reporters. "Hats off to them. They played very well, and we might see them down the road."
It's been a roller-coaster season for the Cavs. They have endured several slumps, including a prolonged period of lackluster play from Christmas through February's NBA trade deadline, which featured a massive roster overhaul.
The 2016 NBA champions have shown signs of life with the playoffs looming, though. They posted an 8-2 record over their past 10 games, and their roster is nearing full strength after navigating injuries.
In turn, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cleveland make a push toward another NBA Finals appearance. Those chances improved when the Boston Celtics learned Thursday former Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving would miss the rest of the season and playoffs after complications from knee surgery.
James doesn't want the team's near comeback against Philly to set a bad precedent, though.
"I mean, you don't want to be in that situation," he said, per McMenamin. "If you're down 30 in the postseason, that can lose you a series. You don't want to hang your hat on, 'OK, well, we can come back from deficits like that.' You want to try to play well, but we know what we're capable of as far as that."
The Cavaliers will finish the regular season with back-to-back games against the New York Knicks. They'll visit Madison Square Garden on Monday night before returning home to Quicken Loans Arena for the rematch Wednesday.
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