Something “magical” happened in Game 5 of the Cavs-Pacers’ opening-round series on Wednesday night in Cleveland. With just seconds remaining, LeBron James came up huge on consecutive possessions for his team, first pinning Victor Oladipo’s layup attempt against the glass on defense (which almost certainly appeared to be a goaltend), then following that up with a miraculous game-winning buzzer-beater to give the Cavs a 3-2 series edge.
If that final play seemed familiar to you, it’s because it wasn’t the first time LeBron gave the NBA world the type of storybook ending that is typically the purview of the dream makers over at Disney. We’ve all seen this movie before – not at Disney World, exactly – but against the Orlando Magic back in 2009.
It seems that, when it comes to do-or-die postseason moments, LeBron likes to follow a familiar script, as evidenced by this side-by-side video comparison of his shot Wednesday night versus his one to win Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando almost a decade ago.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/989324740828581888
The similarities are striking. On both plays, LeBron takes the inbounds pass at the top of the key, squares up, and calmly knocks down a game-winner on basketball’s biggest stage. It’s the stuff dreams are made of, or if you’re on the other side, where those same dreams are dashed against the rocky shores of inevitability.
And the similarities don’t end there. Just as in 2009, LeBron is putting a questionable supporting cast on his back in a Herculean effort to carry the Cavs back to the NBA Finals. And though the Cavs have taken back control of this series against the Pacers, they face nothing but an uphill battle from here on out.
For now, though, they should bask in the glory of yet another timeless playoff moment courtesy of the best basketball player on Earth. They’ve certainly earned it.
