James ties Bird with 59 career triple-doubles
The history books are on the brink of being rewritten, as James recorded his fourth triple-double of the campaign, particularly through a team-first approach that yielded only nine second-half points, but five rebounds and six assists, too.
“[Bird’s] one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” said James. “He gave everything he had. For young guys that don’t know him, they think of Larry Bird as a jump shooter, but he was so much more than that. He was a passer. He averaged double-digit rebounds. He defended. He took charges. Straight up complete basketball player.”
James blocked two shots, swiped the opposition for two steals and elevated his stats over the last 10 ballgames to 29.6 points, 10.2 assists, 10.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals over an average of 37.7 minutes. His bid for a fifth MVP award continues to look better as the year progresses.
“We expect him to do things like that,” Lue said. “We expect him to make the right pass, rebound the basketball, score the basketball. Outside of being very efficient, he brings that to our team.”
Rounding out the balanced attack was Crowder (11 points), Korver (10 points) and Dwyane Wade (10 points), paving the way to a 7-0 record when six players score in double figures, and 13-0 record when Crowder scores in double figures. The shooting prowess is a testament to the eye-popping assist numbers credited to James.
The Cavs have now totaled 100-or-more points on 22 straight occasions this season, a span in which the team is shooting 50% or better in 11 games, and 40% or better from three-point range in 11 games.
“We’re making shots,” said Lue. “Playing with a little bit more pace. I wish we could play a lot faster of getting to our spots. [LeBron’s] a walking triple-double, like every night he’s close.”
“I just like the way we’re playing ball as of late,” James said. “16 of our last 17, but more importantly, it’s the way we’ve been playing. Defensively, we’re playing inspired ball. Offensively, moving the ball and sharing the ball. Everyone’s in a great rhythm.”
John Alfes has covered Cleveland sports since August of 2016. Follow him on Twitter @JohnAlfes for breaking news and in-depth coverage all season long.
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