BASKETBALL FANS WERE treated to a moment of LeBron James magic on Sunday as the King snatched Game 4 with this buzzer-beater:
That clutch moment leaves the Eastern Conference semis between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls tied at 2-2, with Game 5 to come on Tuesday night.
Afterwards, LeBron revealed that the game-winning play very nearly didn’t happen.
Instead of setting up the four-time MVP for the shot, Cavs coach David Blatt wanted LeBron to take the inbounds pass with just 1.5 seconds left on the clock.
Fortunately for the Cavs, and for drama-hungry neutrals everywhere, he was overruled by a man who was 9-for-29 (31%) at that point but still demanded the ball like a champion.
“To be honest, the play that was drawn up, I scratched it,” LeBron explained afterwards.
I just told coach, ‘Just give me the ball. We either going to go into overtime or I’m going to win it for us.’ It was that simple.
I was supposed to take the ball out. I told coach, ‘There’s no way I’m taking the ball out unless I can shoot it over the backboard and go in.’
So I told him to have somebody else take the ball out, give me the ball, and everybody get out the way.
Blatt had also tried to call a timeout that the Cavs didn’t have to set up the play, which would have seen them penalised, but the referees didn’t spot it. When your luck is in, your luck is in.
NBA Playoffs – Sunday’s results
- Cleveland Cavaliers 86 @ 84 Chicago Bulls (Series tied 2-2)
- Houston Rockets 95 @ 128 LA Clippers (Clippers lead 3-1)
He stayed too long, not his fault, the love of the game and all that, but he kept out a lot of good young lads from getting experience, and now they are paying for it, they have a problem in that sector now. He should have been eased out a few years ago.
So you put the best keeper in the country on the bench for others to gain experience???
U don’t seriously believe he was even the best keeper in tipp for the last three or four years.
I think Tipperary hurling would be in a bad state if it wasnt for the likes of Brendan Cummins , he oppitimises everything that is good about the gaa and has been a rock in the Tipperary defence over the past two decades . I always felt that whatever forward was running at our defence and having broke through the backline they would look up and think i ve done the easy part …..now how do i get the ball past Brendan. I wish him every success in his future endeavours and am thankful that I got to see a true legend of the game playing at his best over such a long period .
One of the greats but give Darren Gleeson a chance. He’s a good player and hasn’t let Tipp down. You can’t replace the likes of cummins, you just have to move on. Darragh Egan experiment not a success though.