 |
 |
 |
|
CLEVELAND -- The kid had never been this good. He'd never been close to this good. It's possible he'll never be this good again.
During the most pivotal eight-minute stretch of basketball in Cleveland Cavaliers history, LeBron James and Daniel Gibson combined for all 26 of their team's points. By the time they were finished, a close game with Detroit had become a blowout that gave Cleveland a 98-82 victory and the Eastern Conference title in six games.
|
|
| The man they call Boobie has the biggest night. You read that right. (Getty Images) |
Which means Daniel Gibson had the other 22. In eight minutes. Of the biggest game in Cleveland history.
LeBron James? You just became a footnote.
Daniel Gibson? You just became a legend.
If Gibson has to buy another meal in this city, and I mean ever, then Cleveland isn't half the sports town it thinks it is. After what happened Saturday night, Daniel Gibson ought to be set for life.
Gibson, who averaged 4.6 points per game during his rookie season, scored 31 in Game 6. Cleveland needed them all on a night when James suffered from some sort of hangover from Game 5, when he scored the Cavaliers' final 25 points and ended with 48 in a double-overtime victory at Detroit.
After Game 5 James had to be replenished with IV drips, and it's possible that two days later he still hadn't fully recovered. Like a pitcher who has thrown too many pitches in his previous start, James had nothing left. He finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and if that doesn't tell you how good LeBron James is, nothing ever will. Because James almost had a triple-double ... and he was awful.
Awful.
James didn't have a single field goal in the first half. He finished 3-for-11 from the floor and needed 19 free throws to make 14. He drove for a fast-break dunk and clanged it off the front of the rim. He bobbled passes out of bounds. He had the ball pulled away from him, like candy from a baby, at the top of the key. He threw passes away, missed open shots, didn't look like himself at all.
But it was a crazy game. LeBron puts up 20, 14 and eight and still manages to look terrible. Gibson scores 31 off the bench. An "inadvertent whistle" was called on a Rasheed Wallace shot, the officials giving him the basket even though it wasn't contested because of the whistle. Dumbfounding.
The second quarter was delayed 21 minutes by a clock malfunction, giving TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager and his pimp suit way too much TV time. Every time I think Sager couldn't possibly sink any lower sartorially, he pulls out another abused swatch of fabric. Do I sound angry? I'm angry. The second quarter was delayed by 21 minutes and I had to stare at Sager.
