 Can he be duplicated? Can he be stopped? LeBron James aimed to go toe to toe with Stephen Curry in the three-pointer department during Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors. Even with his impressive triple double and astounding stats, LeBron and the Cavs could not shake the splash brothers’ violent wave from knocking them back to shore over and over again. However, the loss definitely didn’t derive from a lack of effort on LeBron James’ part. James ousted all criticisms of the all too familiar “choking” connotations whispered on social media with his performance. He managed to score 40 points on the Warriors, thrash his way into the paint to yield 14 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists. Still, as the Harry Nilsson song entails, one is the loneliest number you’ll ever know. One person wouldn’t thwart the unstoppable force known as the Golden State Warriors last night. Golden State found visually, fanciful methods to move the basketball during Game 5, but their defensive stance unearthed new successive ground for the team. They managed to hold Cleveland to under 40 percent shooting throughout the game. Although Andre Iguodala didn’t contribute quite the hot hand he did in Game 4, he did auspiciously make James take tougher shots, catapulting him out of his usual comfort zone. Iguodala also managed to gain 14 points with 8 rebounds. He also dropped three steals into the Chef Curry victory stew. When we reflect back on the beat of the game, it appeared to hold the possibility of going either way. The score was close and the lead changes were numerous throughout each quarter. So, what occurred? The game took a nightmarish turn for the Cavs after Curry began a footwork and shot clinic by contriving a barrage of basketball fluidity and ingenuity that only he could create. Curry scored 37 points throughout the game, but drained many in the fourth quarter to place the final nail in the Cav’s coffin. This leaves us pondering, what’s next? With the Cavs facing a 3-2 deficit, can they rise to the occasion? Will LeBron gain help from others besides JR Smith after this 104-91 loss? Only time will tell.  |
