He's lucky because amid all the chaos of Saturday night's Game 3 between the Heat and Celtics — the injury and comeback of Rajon Rondo, the epic performance of Kevin Garnett, and the C's second-half rally to win on their home floor, to name a few — a very obvious storyline went virtually unnoticed.
The King himself had a pretty horrendous game.
The stat line was pretty serviceable — 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, five blocks and two steals would be considered a solid day at the office for 99 percent of NBA players, especially with a 2-0 series lead already in hand. But consider three things.
1. In 79 career playoff games, it was only LeBron's fifth time scoring 15 points or fewer. The last time? You guessed it — Game 5 against the Celtics last year, when he was famously accused of quitting on the Cavaliers.
2. The individual matchup with Paul Pierce didn't go so well. While James' 15 points came on 6-of-16 shooting, the Celtics' captain dropped 27, shooting 9-of-20 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3.
3. It was more than just the stats. LeBron lacked physicality. He lacked initiative. He lacked aggression. Pierce was battling leg cramps and playing far too many minutes; LeBron, a 26-year-old force of nature in his prime on the big stage, should have eaten him alive. He didn't even try.
We've seen LeBron come up short against the Celtics before. He did everything he could in 2008, but it wasn't enough; he got another shot at it in 2010, but his effort gave out and his time in Cleveland ended with three straight losses. This series is his chance to redeem himself.
Perhaps he's got a mental block with the Celtics. It would explain a lot. But he desperately needs to overcome it, and it can't wait another year.
When LeBron came together with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh last summer, throwing that ridiculous pep rally with the crowd, the flashing lights and the blaring music, championships weren't just expected; they were assumed. The fans of Miami were celebrating — nay, LeBron and his cronies were celebrating themselves — because they thought winning was a foregone conclusion. The Heat may have won six of seven games to open this postseason, but they should have known it wouldn't continue to be that easy. They knew there would be bumps in the road.
This upcoming week will be a true test of LeBron's resolve. It's no simple task turning a 2-1 series lead into a win — not when you're up against the conference champions, the team that's already gotten the best of you twice. If LeBron can lead the Heat back into the driver's seat, Saturday will be totally forgotten. But if not, he'll have some explaining to do.
LeBron is fortunate that no one's pointing the finger at him yet. But if he lets this thing slip away, his good fortune won't last long.
What do you think of LeBron James' performance in this series? Share your thoughts below.
