The King will have another chance to win a ring. And this time, he can give it to The Land.
LeBron James is headed back to the NBA Finals for the sixth consecutive season, as his Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 113-87 on Friday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. It’s the seventh overall appearance in the Finals for James and his third with Cleveland.
James scored a team-high 33 points in the win, adding 11 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and a steal in 41 minutes of action. Kyrie Irving chipped in 30 points and nine assists of his own, and Kevin Love added a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in the win.
Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 35 points for Toronto, and DeMar DeRozan added 20 more, but the All-Star Raptors duo finished with a combined minus-54 rating.
James’ sixth consecutive trip to the Finals puts him in a group of elite company. Only seven other players have reached six straight Finals, and all of them played for the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and 60s — a Bill Russell-led dynasty that went to 10 straight Finals and won 11 titles in 13 seasons.
Cleveland will face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. Golden State is the defending NBA champion and defeated Cleveland in last year’s Finals, but it trails the Western Conference finals three games to two. Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday night.
Thumbnail photo via Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports Images
