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TALK ABOUT GETTING THE MESSAGE...If I'd had time, I would have gotten in my car and started driving to the Palace at Auburn Hills. Magnificent? Yes. Superb? Absolutely. Absurd? Most definitely.

Clearly, the light bulb went off in LeBron James' head. Doesn't matter if you're 22 or 32, surrounded by greatness, competence or mediocrity. You're supposed to be the man, so be the man. Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson challenged Kevin Garnett on that very point in the middle of a first-round playoff series five years ago. KG still hasn't gotten it. Barkley and Magic challenged LeBron on that same point last week after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron has already gotten it.

James, in fact, made the point Thursday night in a way that will be worthy of the NBA history books. It was one for the ages, folks. LeBron ain't channeling KG no more. He's channeling Michael: Forty-eight points. Twenty-nine of the Cavs' last 30. The Cavaliers' last 25. The kind of performance that has you calling your basketball buddy from high school or college, no matter what time zone he resides in.

With 3:15 to play in regulation, the Pistons led 88-81. James hit a driving layup to make it 88-83. After Drew Gooden made a free throw _ the only non-LeBron point over the last 16 minutes _ James hit a fadeway three-pointer. Then James hit a driving dunk to give Cleveland a one-point lead. Then he drove and dunked again to tie it at 91.

Overtime: James makes two free throws. Then another dunk. Then a free throw. Then two more free throws. Then a 20-foot jumper.

Second overtime: James makes a 19-footer. Then another 19-footer. Then a 25-foot three-pointer. And finally, a driving layup to win it, 109-107.

For those who care: In the last 13:15, that's three jumpers, two three-pointers, five three throws, two layups and three dunks. Think about that. Against what is reputed to be one of the savviest defenses in the league, James scored 15 points on free throws, layups and dunks when it mattered. Hey, Flip: Ever heard of at least trying to take the ball out of the star's hands before he gets to the rim? More than once every five possessions? Hey, Rasheed: Ever heard of stepping in and taking the charge?

Though it might have been one of those occasions when it wouldn't have mattered. Not according to basketball's King James version, as it was written on a mythic Thursday night in Auburn, Hill, Mich. You could argue that these NBA playoffs needed an injection. In that case, King James has provided a big, fat syringe of adrenaline.

Published Thursday, May 31, 2007 11:27 PM by KFAN Dan Barreiro

Comments

	top ten protection said: I think thats as close as Danny B will come to eating a big fat plate of crow. June 1, 2007 12:41 AM
	MNSportsFanatic said: I couldn't say anything better myself. I did not think Lebron had it in him. Good for him. It's great that he does that. It's fun to watch. Let's see if he can have his team finish out the series Saturday night at the Q. We were all witness to his brilliance. June 1, 2007 1:49 AM
	TheDoctor said: James was unbelievable. The Pistons are a very good defensive team and they had no answer for him. One of the announcers called it "Jordanesk". That performance may have been better than even Jordan ever did considering Jordan at least had Pippen. Something tells me that Flip didn't get much sleep following that game. June 1, 2007 5:33 AM
	cripes said: A great performance by Lebron. The Pistons should be embarrassed. After he scores 15 points in a row, you might want to start throwing some double teams at him. 25 straight points? I wouldn't say the Pistons got out-coached as there wasn't anything fancy to the Cavs attack. The Pistons didn't get coached at all. No movement on offense and even less on defense. Way to go Flip. June 1, 2007 6:29 AM
	StormJH1 said: As a Pistons fan, it killed me to see LeBron tearing up my squad like that, but there was also a sense of "Eh, whaddya gonna do?" I mean, the Pistons had a key tip in to force overtime, and Chauncey (T-Wolves still don't need him) Billups hit 2 free throws to tie it at 100 and force OT #2. And, yes, while there should have been more double-teaming and basic "coaching" on defending LeBron, the on-ball defenders, whether it was Prince, Billups, or Hamilton, were all over him! He just kept taking ill-advised after ill-advised shot...but making them. That was a close to a pure one-man dominating performance as I've ever seen. There was no Plan B. Not only were the other Cavs not scoring, they practically weren't even touching the ball down the stretch. Simply amazing. June 1, 2007 8:27 AM
	Vandy said: Clearly, the light bulb went off in LeBron James' head.....hmmmmm If you believe your own drivel on this, you my friend are a moron. You had more intelligent people tell you the critiscism of the earlier game was bunk. And if you have any inkling that he was motivated by outside forces (by Barkley, Magic or anyone else) to somehow elevate his game you are delusional. The guy is an unbelievable talent and has been for some time. No doubt this was a defining performance, but to make any comparison of Lebron to Garnett's inpetitude is absurd. Oh, yea and no bonus points again for pointing out the obvious. When are you gonna come up with any relevant insight that matters? Or are you, like Garnett, continuing to mail it in with the same, sad old schtick? June 1, 2007 8:48 AM
	3BeerWarmUpGuy said: Sweet blog. That's right... LeBron gripped the basketball world by ear and didn't let go. And although I think the criticism after game 1 was a bit much, LBJ left no room for doubt who owned the court last night. I especially like his grit of going hard to the hoop even though he struggled down at the free throw line down the stretch of regulation. Way to step up danny b and say, "well if I'm gonna savage him when he passes on the moment, then I better praise him when he siezes the moment." June 1, 2007 9:59 AM
	Ak_AK_ADAK said: "LeBron ain't channeling KG no more." And you went to college to be a writter??? Are you sure you weren't at a John Cougar Mellencamp concert the day your professor went over double negetives and sentance structure?? Funny.... the Twins slump and we get blog after blog of whats wrong with the Twins. Bump all but calls it over and then the Twins win 9 of their lat 12, 4 in a row and we don't see anything from Bump, instead more of this NBA garbage... MN- Not everyone witnessed it.... I was watching my grass grow in the dark last night while the game was on.. June 1, 2007 11:18 AM
	Hayden Fry Guy said: Bron was phenominal last night, but I still can't compare it to Jordon for one simple reason. No way Jordan would've been able to get to the basket like Bron did down the stretch last night against the Bad Boy Pistons. No f'in way. Hell, he wouldn't have been able to do that against Larry Brown's Pistons. I think Flip should start signing his name Flip Sauners. No D. June 1, 2007 11:43 AM
	Lute Olson Hater said: Let me be the 1st to say I was not impressed. I wasnt impressed because National Basketball teams are supposed to play defense. The Pistons let James walk in and dunk on them like this was some sort of all-star exhibition. Where are the bad boys? where are the hard-but fair fouls? I mean come on... It was a great performance but it was elevated by the Pistons and that should never be the case. Jordan was awesome because no matter what anyone did to him, hard fouls, bodying him up, etc... he still made the play or the bucket. Lebron was great, he made the shots and they won the game but in my opinion, this isnt close to anything Jodan ever did, not close to what Bird did and not close to what I've seen Kobe do! Impressive but not worthy of all the superlatives I have heard today! just one mans opinion. June 1, 2007 12:20 PM
	Richard Cranium said: I wasn't watching the grass grow like ak-ak, I was watching paint dry personally. Any remote possibility I had of taking the NBA playoffs seriously ended with how the Suns/Spurs series ended. June 1, 2007 12:23 PM
	MNSportsFanatic said: Flip is being exposed as a coach again, which is one reason I wouldn't mind seeing the Cavs win the series just so Minnesota sports fans can realize how overrated Flip was. Flip may know his offense as well as anyone, but in basketball,, you win with defense as the Spurs have demonstrated. Flip has no clue about defense. He never had which is why I felt he was overrated. If Brown or Carlisle was coaching the Pistons last night, you think Lebron would have easy opportunites at times. I don't think so because those two coaches would have come up with anything to get Lebron off. How in the world do you not double-team Lebron? Let somebody else beat you. Geez. It will be interesting what happens to him if the Pistons lose this series. If Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle can be fired for not getting it done, why should Flip be different? June 1, 2007 1:53 PM
	NAC_11 said: They are still playing basketball this time of year?!?!? Huh,... didn't even notice. Too busy watching a certain Major League Baseball squad that was written off 2 weeks ago LeBron the Goat.... LeBron the next coming of Jordan.... make up your mind you 2-bit hack. Can't have it both ways.... Oh BTW a full plate of crow would be acknowledging the fact that Barreiro was dead wrong about Maturi.... can't sign a big-time basketball mind eh? June 1, 2007 2:02 PM
	jackhammer said: MNSportsFanatic phrased it perfectly, "Flip is being exposed as a coach again." June 1, 2007 2:12 PM
	Ak_AK_ADAK said: Jackhammer- Please, don't inflate MNSports ego any more than it already is... MN- Shouldn't you be eating some crow right about now?? You wrote this in a blog on May 4th: "If the Twins have a horrible homestand, this season is OVER! You hear me. Over!" The Twins went 3-9 in that homestand... Still think the season is over???? With your prognostication skills you could take over for the goof on the roof some day... June 1, 2007 2:36 PM
	OchoCinco said: Please stop comparing Lebron to Jordan! It was a great performance yes, "Jordanesque" as I believe Steve Kerr put it - and who would know better. But Bron Bron HAS never and WILL never face a defense the likes of the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks of Jordan's era. Imagine if you could have Jordan play the Detroit Pistons of last night and have Lebron play against the Detroit Pistons of the early 90's. My guess; Jordan would have scored 70, Lebron 14 and he would have been bloody when it was over. June 1, 2007 3:49 PM
	MNSportsFanatic said: AK: Twins are playing well, but Cleveland and Detroit are in another different level. Those two teams have pitching and offense. Twins offense is okay, but not that good enough and their pitching is either good or bad. Sweeping the White Sox is nothing to be excited. Let's see if they can sustain this for June. They had done good considering how bad they have played, but we got long ways to go. June 1, 2007 4:23 PM
	Ak_AK_ADAK said: MN- You said on May 4th that if they didn't do good in their home stand the season was over. They didn't do good. They continued to play terrible. So based on what you said and on how the Twins played in that home stand the season should be over. That was it, you called the season over on May 4th, a month into the season. Now your telling me its a long season, if they can keep playing good through June..... SOunds like you've changed your tune a little, So I'm confused now because your talking out both sides of your mouth. Is the season over or do they still have a chance?? Your such a fraud and a moron, can you stand behind anything you write?? June 1, 2007 4:42 PM
	MNSportsFanatic said: Did I said they were a playoff team? No. I just don't think they are that good and they won't make the playoffs. I hope I made myself clear, AK. June 1, 2007 4:55 PM
	Coffee or Die said: Fact: Lebron James scored the final 25 points of the game for the Cavs. Fact: His air-ball at the end of regulation almost cost them the game. Fact: He still won the damn thing. Fact: James went from Star to Superstar in just 2 OT periods. To those who whine that the Cavs were written off 2 weeks ago, and now they are the darlings, wake the $%&# up. The sports world works like that. Anyone remember those Superbowls with Elway before he did the "tilt-a-whirl" against Green Bay? I do, but NFL films doesn't. Fact: I generally hate the NBA and it's lack of defense, but it won me over last night, thanks to Lebron James, even with Flip's lack of defense. June 1, 2007 8:58 PM
	Kandiman Guy said: Talk about coming of age. It was one of the most spectacular performances I have ever witnessed. On the road, in the playoffs, against an experienced quality opponent. Funny, but I don't remember anything coming even close to this (or the Golden State story) in the supposedly superior NCAA tournament. The hoops ignoramuses who claim the NCAA tournament is superior to the NBA playoffs have been exposed as delusional, uninformed clowns. King James remains a humble gentleman, unlike Barreiro's guy Kobe Bryant for example. LeBron is a class act on every level. I recently returned from an obscenely luxurious vacation, a vacation the likes of Barreiro could only dream of. I have fallen a bit behind on the blogs. I have some catching up to do. I'll work on it. June 2, 2007 11:30 PM
	RUBE HATING GUY said: What a surprise that Dan would choose to blog about basketball. June 4, 2007 2:04 PM
	Talent said: Dan- you really dissapiont me about getting the message...KG is No Lebron is obvious, nor is Lebron KG!!! look at their driblling skills, look at therir game..KG is a forward, LBJ is a gaurd, just like Mj, and Kobe...so your agurment doesnt make sense...i've seen KG step up the year after Magic called him out..the year before stupid hudson got that contract...look at KG's stat's against the Laker...but you did your job...you got a response from me...so good job June 5, 2007 2:47 PM