LeBron James helped Cleveland snatch victory from the Pacers on Wednesday, while adding yet another chapter of greatness to his resume. Knotted at 95-all, the Cavaliers star calmly knocked down a ridiculous buzzer-beating 3-pointer that would award his squad a 3-2 series advantage. There was no controversy about it; his shot clearly beat the buzzer in a pivotal Game 5.

The play that preceded the final play, however, is a different story.

With under five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 5, James pasted Victor Oladipo's layup attempt on the glass to turn possession back to the home team. But unlike your run-of-the-mill chase-down block from LeBron, it appeared as if he got away with a goaltend.

However, the NBA confirmed Thursday that LeBron indeed got away with one. In its Last Two Minute Report, the league announced that the play, which was deemed a block, was a missed goaltending call by the referees. The play was not reviewable because it was not called as such on the court.  

Here's a closer angle.

According to the NBA's own rulebook, by definition, James appears to have violated the league's goaltending rule, specifically No. 3 on the list. Here's how the rule is laid out.

Goaltending is confirmed when a player (offense or defense) touches the ball on a shot:

  1. After it reaches its apex (its highest point) and is on a downward flight toward the basket with a reasonable chance to go in;
  2. After it hits the backboard and is headed toward the basket, whether going up or down, with a reasonable chance to go in;
  3. When it is in contact with the backboard, i.e., a player may not "trap" the ball (a batted ball against the backboard is not a trapped ball);
  4. Once it has touched the rim and is either using the rim as its base or has bounced off the rim and is in the imaginary cylinder above the rim. (Note, a ball that is rolling off the rim may be touched, even if it is still in contact with the rim because it has no chance to go in); and
  5. Generally, touch or vibrate the rim, backboard or net in a way that affects a shot attempt

James himself admitted he thought the play was a goaltend, at least for a moment, only to laugh and show sarcasm in denying it.

"I definitely thought it was a goaltend," James said sarcastically of the play. "Of course I didn't think it was a goaltend. I try to make plays like that all the time, and I mean he made a heck of a move, got me leaning right and he went left and I just tried to use my recovery speed and get back up there and make a play on the ball. And I was able to make a play."

Unsurprisingly, Oladipo saw that play -- and specifically James' block -- in a different light.

"I tried to shoot a layup, it hit the backboard, then he blocked it. ... It was a goaltend," Oladipo said. "It's hard to even speak on it. It just sucks, honestly. It really sucks. We fought our way back, we tied the game up, that layup is huge."

Behind James' 44 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in Game 5, the Cavaliers now hold a 3-2 lead as the series shifts back to Indianapolis for Game 6 on Friday.