CLEVELAND -- There have been times in playoff games over the years when nothing could stop LeBron James but cramps in his legs.
Sunday afternoon, James' great postseason enemy came back again, and at the worst possible time: the second half of a Game 7.
When he walked to the locker room at the end of the third quarter with two Cavs trainers, general manager Koby Altman followed closely behind as the Cavs' fan base held its collective breath. At the moment, James had 38 of the Cavs' 75 points. The rest of his team was shooting 12-of-49 from the field.
Kevin Love, his vital running mate, was 2-of-8 and had thrown up everything from embarrassing airballs from 3-point range to touchless rocks from inside the paint. The most suspect supporting cast of James' playoff career was having its most suspect game.
The Indiana Pacers had gone on a 20-5 run in the third quarter -- something they've been doing all series -- and had destroyed a 14-point Cavs lead. Victor Oladipo was getting going.
It was starting to look bleak for the Cavs.
This is why Game 7s determine reputations, performances in them sticking to them like the sweat on the brow when James headed to the locker room. The leftover Cavs -- and that nickname is kind -- were facing defeat.
It was then when the Cavs went on an unexpected and season-saving run, surviving the Pacers' upset attempt to win 105-101. Love was at the center of it, making three baskets, two of them 3-pointers. George Hill, who hadn't played in three and a half games with back spasms and had taken five injections in his back and his backside to try to return, drew two shooting fouls and made several badly needed playmaking moves on the offensive end.
By the time James tepidly returned to the bench, the Cavs had established a nine-point lead. It was as unexpected as anything that's happened to the Cavs in this topsy-turvy season.
This was after Tristan Thompson, who had played only a handful of minutes in the series, had helped James get the Cavs a lead with a surprise start at center. Thompson was back to his form from the Cavs' 2016 championship run, scoring 15 badly needed points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
James added another file to his tremendous career, finishing with 45 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. In a stat worthy of a second look, which is hard to do when it comes to James, he's now won five consecutive Game 7s.
Love added 14 points with four 3-pointers, Hill played the game's last 19 minutes and scored 10 points with five rebounds and three assists and J.R. Smith added 11 points. Add in Thompson and it was the type of support James so badly needed.
Oladipo finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers.
The Cavs start the conference semifinals against the top-seeded Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
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