To hear James tell it after the game, though, the only reason Cleveland won was because of his teammates. He would later say his performance — in which he had 26 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists and two blocks — was “probably one of my worst games of the season.”
On the matter of his teammates, James had a point. J.R. Smith scored 20 points, going 5 for 6 from three-point range. Kyle Korver had 19 points and hit five threes himself. Jeff Green had 16 points and Tristan Thompson — who, as recently as a week ago, was in mothballs at the end of Cleveland’s bench — chipped in 14 points and 12 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, in 26 minutes.
But it’s surprising when James gets help these days.