LeBron James was bad in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Like, really bad. And if you’re looking for an excuse as to why the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar was so off his game, we now have one.
Cavs forward Richard Jefferson spoke with FOX Sports Ohio on Tuesday night after Cleveland’s Game 4 win over the Boston Celtics and revealed some interesting information: Teammate Deron Williams may have gotten James sick before Game 3.
“I know he won’t talk about it, so I’ll give my big guy a shout,” Jefferson said. “Deron Williams missed shootaround (Tuesday) morning because he had like a little bug, really lethargic, had no energy. And I think that’s what ‘Bron had. And sometimes these little bugs can go around.
“And (James) was like, when Deron didn’t show up to shootaround, it kind of started clicking in his head. Because for him it was like, ‘I don’t know why I was so lethargic, why I had no energy. I had nothing.'”
James indeed was lethargic Sunday night in the Cavs’ shocking home loss. He scored just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting after notching 30-plus points in his eight previous postseason games and didn’t tally a single point in the final 16 minutes of play.
The star forward admitted he “didn’t have it” after the game but didn’t make any mention of being sick.
James didn’t exactly come roaring out of the gate in Game 4, either, picking up four fouls in the first half. Apparently, the King finally beat his bug, though, as he scored 24 points in the first half to help lead Cleveland to a 112-99 victory.
H/t to ESPN.com
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
