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“I’m the leader and they’re supposed to follow me,’’ James said. “At the same time, other guys got to be aggressive, too.’’
Recent history is not on Cleveland’s side.
With James, the Cavaliers are 0-3 in elimination road playoff games.
They lost at Detroit in Game 7 in 2006, at Boston in Game 7 in 2008, and at Orlando last season in Game 6.
However, James said Cleveland fans should count on the Cavaliers to force a Game 7 Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.
Why?
“Uh, cause they got me,’’ said the two-time MVP
...“I’m never disappointed in my play,’’ James said. “I mean, I feel like I could do more, but I’m not disappointed at all.’’
I still feel like this is some kind of big set up... like LeBron is setting us up and he's going to swoop in and rescue his team at the last minute and get everyone kissing his ass again.
But if you listen to Brian Windhorst, Cleveland Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer, who appeared on Mike & Mike in the Morning... you wonder if that's more of a Cavs fan's pipe dream rather than impending reality.
If they were the team I covered daily for 6 months I would think they have a chance but nothing that has happened in this series has given me any sort of confidence, and that includes LeBron who yesterday was indifferent and dismissive with Barry Melrose's opinion and everyone else's that his performance in game 5 was anything but a bad game. Anyone who watched him play realized it was maybe one of the worst performances of his professional career, and considering the stakes it probably was. And for him to brush it off like it was another average game in mid-February makes you wonder what he's got going on up there for tonight
He went on to intimate that JJ Hickson is part of the locker room dissension because he's pissed that he started 70 games and suddenly is barely part of the rotation.
So I don't know...
Can indifferent LeBron and the splintered Cavs come in and steal Game 6? Will this galvanize them and wake LeBron up?
And most importantly, will this matter if the Celtics come out and play hard, play unselfishly, and play consistently for 48 minutes?
On Page 2, 5 is the difference
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images“KG brings that intensity to the game,” Perkins said. “His energy level is high. Forget his skills, but he demands a great focus and he demands his teammates to go hard. One thing about KG is he just leads by example, so guys just have to kind of follow.”
It’s the type of leadership Garnett wasn’t able to provide last year as a spectator. “
When he wasn’t there, we had that leadership from Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen) and (Rajon) Rondo, but it’s a whole different experience when you have 5 in there,” Glen Davis said. “When 5’s there, he makes sure everything runs right. If something is lacking, he says something.
“He can carry a team with his actions. Just having him this year is going to help us a lot.”
Herald: KG's on-court impact huge
What a nice contrast in what leadership really is, huh?
Maybe 23 should take some notes... but not until after the series is over.
The rest of the links:
Herald: In tune Celtics look to eliminate Cavs tonight | Strange turn of events | King James version a tough read | Emotionless LeBron packed up, ready to go | LeBron, Cavs still confident | So Far, LeBron lacking in the answer department | Globe: Leading different paths | Sixth sense about tonight | Perkins keeps goal in sharp focus | ESPN Boston: Are the Cavaliers done? | Did KG put pressure on the Celtics | CSNNE: C's detours LeBron's game | Souza: Swagger is back for Celtics | WEEI: Celtics maintain Game 6 is really Game 7 | In praise of Thibs | Perk reacts to Shaq's elbow | Camerato: Recognizing Rondo: Teammates saw greatness from the start | Celtics Town: Sign up to help Simmons with Celtics chants