LeBron propels Cavs to largest late comeback win of his career
LeBron James continues to defy all odds.
The veteran superstar willed the Cleveland Cavaliers to the largest comeback win of his 15-year career, as his team trailed by 16 points in the final six minutes of Thursday's game to defeat the Washington Wizards, 119-115.
James' teams had an all-time record of 0-152 when falling behind by 15 or more points in the last six minutes of action, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Down 17 at one point in the 4th, the @cavs caught 🔥 to finish the game 32-11 to grab the W! pic.twitter.com/T8dkEO0ef2
— NBA (@NBA) April 6, 2018
When the four-time MVP checked back into the contest at the 7:48 mark of the fourth quarter, Cleveland was down 14. The differential was the same with just under six minutes remaining, giving LeBron and Co. just a 0.5 percent chance of coming out victorious.
(Courtesy: ESPN.com)
Unfazed, though, James helped his side outscore the visitors 32-14 by chipping in 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists to close out the contest. James leads the league in clutch scoring with 4.4 points on 55.9 percent shooting, and has now carried the Cavaliers to a 30-14 record in games within five points in the final five minutes.
His impact isn't just felt on the offensive end, either. He was guarding Wall on a crucial possession in the final minute and forced the All-Star point guard to miss a go-ahead jumper. Since returning to The Land, James has been the defender on seven direct isolation plays in the last minute of one-possession games, allowing a total of zero points, per Second Spectrum.
The win keeps Cleveland ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers in the standings by a half-game for the third seed. As fate would have it, the Cavaliers visit Philly in their next game on Friday. Tyronn Lue's men have a 2-1 series lead over the Sixers, and even if they fall at Wells Fargo Center, they'd still own the tiebreaker by virtue of their superior record against division rivals.
Meanwhile, the Wizards remain tied for seventh in the East with their third straight loss. They're a loss back of the Miami Heat and tied with the Milwaukee Bucks. Washington split both series, and own the tie-breaker over Milwaukee but not Miami.