A strange game for LeBron James only got stranger with the game on the line. After tussling with Patrick Beverley, getting kicked in the groin by James Harden, and being subject to a spate of equally puzzling calls and no-calls from the opening tip, The King missed a pair of free throws that would have put his team ahead in the final seconds of the Houston Rockets’ 105-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers
James stepped to the line for two as the Cavaliers trailed the Rockets by one with just over four seconds remaining in overtime. After his first try was left of the target, his second was way right of it – essentially clinching a loss for Cleveland.
Choke?
Other than James Harden strengthening his MVP case, that’s the easiest narrative takeaway from Sunday’s wild matchup. But it belies the crucial context of LeBron struggling at the stripe all game long – he finished a woeful 3-of-11 on freebies. The two-time champion’s late-game chops are without question. Basketball is a make or miss sport, and James’ errant free throwing all game long is a stark reminder of that reality. If he’d have made just three more tries even before his last trip to the line, Cleveland would have left Houston winners and LeBron the hero he normally is.
Instead, James’ gaffes and Harden’s brilliance are what rule the day. The Beard scored 33 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished five assists in his team’s victory, doing so on just 18 shots. His defense was strong throughout the contest, but Harden’s imminently unstoppable offensive dominance is what loomed largest.
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And though the game was hardly decided by the play of either MVP candidate alone, it’s difficult to leave it without thinking otherwise. Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 19 rebounds, Terrence Jones was awesome on both ends, and Josh Smith made several big plays down the stretch. But even before Harden got dirty with LeBron and literally kicked Sunday’s theatrics into overdrive, this one was always going to be about James and James.
And following LeBron’s uncharacteristic clutch struggles and Harden’s continued excellence, it’s the latter who emerges as something close to MVP frontrunner.
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