NBA Playoffs 2018: LeBron James opened Game 2 vs. Pacers with the best first five minutes of his career
LeBron poured in 16 points in the first five minutes
After the Cavaliers were shocked in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Pacers, there was plenty of concern in Cleveland. Of course, LeBron James was not worried, but Cavs head coach Ty Lue did say in the lead-up to Game 2 that the team needed their star to be more aggressive than he was in Game 1, and "set the tone early."
The problem wasn't that LeBron had a bad game -- he recorded a triple-double -- but by the time he got going, the Pacers were already in control. By the time he took his first shot, with just 1:52 left in the first quarter, the Pacers were already up by 17 points.
As Game 2 got underway, it was clear that LeBron had took his coach's words to heart. He scored on the team's first possession, and then just kept it going. And going, and going.
LeBron starts play with the short pull-up and has the games first 6 points!#WhateverItTakes x #Pacers
— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2018
📺: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/5qt2K8mkd8
LeBron fires from 3!
— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2018
LBJ scores the first 16 for @cavs and CLE leads 19-3 in Q1!#WhateverItTakes pic.twitter.com/acl2ZOOxUW
In the first five minutes, LeBron piled up 16 points, putting together the best first five minutes of any game in his career.
This is the 1,362nd game of LeBron's career.
— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2018
Tonight is the most points (16) he has EVER scored in the first 5 minutes of any game. pic.twitter.com/XJVSCG2ezS
As ESPN noted, this is game No. 1,362 for LeBron. When he's setting new records for himself at this point, you know it has to be special. When the buzzer sounded at the end of the first quarter, LeBron had 20 points on the board on 9-for-12 shooting, and the Cavs led 33-18. In Game 1, he scored just 24 points the entire game.
















