CLEVELAND -- In a season of amazing achievement, LeBron James reached a new high. Put simply, he played his finest game when his team needed it the most.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers go on to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1997, many will point to this performance as the reason why.
Breaking out of a personal slump, James took over in the fourth quarter Saturday night and carried a team that had forgotten how to win, willing the Cavs past the New Jersey Nets 107-104.
"I had to turn it to another gear," James said after producing 41 points and 13 assists.
How dominant was the rookie's performance against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions?
- He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including the Cavaliers' final 10.
- He either scored or assisted on all but eight of Cleveland's 32 points in the fourth quarter.
- He scored six points in the final 39 seconds, snatching a victory after the Cavaliers trailed nearly the entire game.
The win ended a four-game losing streak for Cleveland (32-40) and tied it with Boston for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, heading into the Celtics' game Sunday against the 76ers.
"To win a big game like this, after being down all game long ... has to do a lot for our confidence," Cavaliers coach Paul Silas said.
He thought it clearly was James' best game -- and Silas wasn't the only one.
"I don't think 'surprised' is the word. We stay impressed with him," said Cavaliers forward Carlos Boozer, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds. "We all, as basketball fans, admire what he is doing."
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| At 19 years, 87 days, LeBron James became the youngest player to score 40 or more points in a game.(AP) |
- He set career highs in points and assists, topping previous personal bests of 38 points and 10 assists.
- He had the most points by a rookie since Jason Richardson scored 40 on April 16, 2002.
- He scored the most points by a Cavaliers rookie, topping Ron Harper's 40 points on Feb. 4, 1987.
- At 19 years, 87 days old, he became the youngest player to score 40 or more points in an NBA game. Clifford Robinson had 45 points for Detroit on March 9, 1980, four days before he turned 20, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
James had been struggling along with the rest of the Cavaliers after point guard Jeff McInnis went down with a bruised shoulder bone, shooting 32 percent in four straight losses.
"We were searching for offense on the four-game losing streak, and I know I was not picking it up," James said.
He scored just two points in the first quarter Saturday, shooting 1-for-4 and looked like he could be in for a long night. But then James seemed to take it upon himself to turn the Cavaliers' fortunes around.
Making drive after drive, he would split defenders and occasionally take hard fouls. James picked himself up off the court more than once and made all 10 free throws.
His last 10 points came on a 19-foot jumper with 1:49 left, two free throws at the 1:23 mark and three straight drives in the final 39 seconds. He slammed the final basket in with two hands.
"He really took it to the hoop, made big shots, steals," Silas said. "Whatever was needed, he provided for us."
With McInnis on the injured list, James looks like the Cavaliers' best option at point guard down the stretch. The decision to move James over from shooting guard could be easier for Silas with the re-emergence of Kedrick Brown, who shot 5-for-5 for 12 points in a reserve role Saturday.
Kevin Ollie started in place of McInnis on Saturday, but he had four turnovers in 14 minutes, leaving James to handle most of the point guard duties.
"I really felt comfortable," James said, "and I was able to take their guys off the dribble and create for myself and my team."
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