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Lue admits LeBron looked fatigued late in Game 5 blowout loss

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

LeBron James has single-handedly carried his Cleveland Cavaliers to postseason victories before, but on Wednesday night in Game 5 against the Boston Celtics, the King needed more from his Knights of the Round Table.

James looked out of it near the tail end of Boston's 96-83 victory at TD Garden, which didn't go unnoticed by Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue.

"He looked a little tired to me. Yes. Gotta be ready to play now. No concerns," said Lue postgame, according to The Athletic's Jared Weiss.

James was the only Cavaliers player to provide the team with anything of value. Kevin Love scored 14 points but was a team-worst -23 in 31 minutes of action. The other three starters (J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, and George Hill) combined for 10 points with just a pair of field goals between them.

In his 15th season in the Association and at 33 years of age, James has played fewer than 36 minutes during this postseason run on just one occasion. Wednesday marked the 11th time he reached the 39-minute mark.

James finished with a game-high 26 points to go with 10 boards and five assists, but he did turn the ball over on six occasions, while also going just 1-of-6 from behind the arc.

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