[aamir543Participant]

No this is not a delayed April Fools joke, Lebron had 37, 7, and 6 today, but most notably scored the Heat’s final 17 points to rally from behind and beat the Nets. I know it’s the Nets, without D-Will or Gerald Wallace, but the main point here is that today Lebron grew up once again. I have a short 44 second clip that gives you about 10 of his late game points, but we all know he is the best player in the game, we all know that, we’ve seen him mesmerize us time after time, we’ve seen him hit clutch shots, take over games, just not much in a Heat uniform. Well tonight, with D-Wade out and losing to an undermanned Nets team, a loss that would have been absolutly embarrassing, he did it. He has his mojo back! When a man with Lebron’s talent gets confidence like this at this time of year, it’s always gonna be a great thing to watch. Form the highlight, you could see he’s geing aggressive, getting to the rim, getting good shots, and looking for his own, somthing everyone wants him to do.

I am not a Heat fan, nor a Lebron fan, I am a basketball fan, and what I want to see most as a fan of the league, is to see quality basketball, and when hte best player in the game shows us he has the ability to take over games the way he did today, boy is it going to be a fun playoffs this year, I can’t wait!

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Yea, he dominated the Gerald Green, Kris Humphries and Nets down the stretch of this game.

[HaleParticipant]

Finally!

[torontoraptors10Participant]

I’m honestly happy to see LBJ starting to break away from this not clutch player. I think everything is getting to his head and slowly but surely he’s starting to realize that he can be clutch.

I don’t know about anyone else here but I’m rooting for LBJ to be successful. Imagine the show he’d put on if he brought this the majority of games he played. He is definitely something we haven’t seen in a long time and I hope he continues to play this well in the 4th quarter.

[NbanflguyParticipant]

About time!

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

Once he does something like that consistently in the NBA finals, then I’ll give him some props.  Not against the friggin Nets though.

[torontoraptors10Participant]

I think it’s pretty funny how Nets fans’ are cheering for LBJ too

[gay fish]

I can’t wait for you to shut up, for real.

[Future_Scout]

 there was no pressure in this game!!!

thats what clutch is, coming thru in big moments. not against NJ, vs kris humphries- worst defender of life, d leaguer -gerald green

yes he has all the tools to dominate, is lebiw james… i want him to do it when it matters. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I blame Avery Johnson and the Nets. Why not go run a double at LeBron and make somebody else beat them? He was actually isolating one on one against Kris Humphries… Head scratcher. And then once he beat Humphries (as expected), the rotations were late as hell. He got like 8 layups at the rim.

The Nets suck bad.

[J_01Participant]

Even though it was against the Nets still a great clutch performance. The nets are still an NBA team and for one person to score 17 straight points in the 4th quarter is still worth something. But because it’s Lebron people will still find a way to hate lol.

[Future_Scout]

 go dance to kanye west music, gayfish

 

[akhan786Participant]

Doesn’t Lebron understand that he has to take the ball to hole in clutch situations instead of jacking up contest jump shots?

You see in that clip that all of the shots were in the paint. Hopefully this finally clicks with him.

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

thats really impressive to have negative 1750 points with 60 posts.  Do you try to talk celebrity gossip on this site or something?

[417basketballfanParticipant]

 lebron was clutch because he brought the ball to the hoop. He’s usually not clutch because he will settle for jumpers late in games and he tightens up. I’m glad to see this from him.

[KayjayParticipant]

Haters are made, not born.

What people need to understand is teams like OKC, and Miami are going to always get everyones best. Regardless of what team it was, Lebron came up in the clutch. And the Heat are now 11-1 with out Wade.

[andxxxParticipant]

 He did do it consistently in the 4th quarter against Boston and Chicago anyway.  I also like how people give Rose and Kobe props for making clutch shots against teams like the Pistons, Raptors, and Nets, but people brush it off anytime Lebron does it.

 

[BlueLacesParticipant]

I’ll give LeBron props if he does that consistently in the 4th quarter of the playoffs.

[ChrisCrossParticipant]

can’t wait to see what the troll skip bayless says about this 

[Charlie SheenParticipant]

look at the LeBron fans, lmao 1 game dont make him clutch, this is the same guy who should have sealed the deal vs Chicago BUT missed a free throw

stop making excuses for him, he gotta do it on the biggest stage or at least consistently in order to be considered "clutch" which LeBron is far from 

[A Lil EnglishParticipant]

If you’re gona criticise "LeBron fans" for calling him clutch after as you say 1 game how can you then bring up 1 Chicago game? 

The Heat were down practically the whole game. Wade was out and Bosh was missing open jumpshots while the Nets played very well.

Unless you didn’t see the game you have to give the guy credit for driving instead of trying to shoot jumpers down the stretch over guys like Stojakovic.

I don’t know how you people expect anyone to win a playoff game in the middle of April.

[rwd5035Participant]

Lebron has been clutch in a lot of 4th quarters throughout his career. A lot of people just have selective memory.

[Cosbysweater7Participant]

I watched this game last night and it kind of reminded me of that Playoff game against Detroit in 07 when he scored 29 of the last 30 points. He just absolutley took over and scored at will. Even though it was only New Jersey it was still nice to see him deliver in the 4th quarter.

Btw it was funny how the Nets fans were chanting "MVP” to LeBron at the free throw line, and "Lets Go Heat" down the stretch.

[omphalosParticipant]

Not sure if I’d call those clutch shots necessarily, he put the team on his back, but like Indiana said, the Nets were guarding him 1v1 with Humphries of all people and they were all shots at the rim.

People can say "he needs to attack the rim in the clutch", but against Boston and Chicago there’s no way he gets that many layups in the 4th quarter, so while this was nice, it was against a terrible defensive team missing their defensive ace at SF in Gerald Wallace, and the "clutch" shots in that clip were all layups, which aren’t going to be there in the Finals.

You guys are reading into this too much, he had that monstrous 4th quarter against Detroit in the playoffs the year they made the Finals, but it didn’t mean anything in the long run, because he’s still struggling to consistently dominate crunch time years later.

It COULD be the sign he’s starting to mature, or it could just be another flash of what he could be if he put it all together, but give it time before you make crazy declarations about him "maturing" and "turning the corner".

I can’t believe how many negatives IndianaBasketball got for simply speaking the truth. It doesn’t make him a hater, it makes him someone who understands basketball.

[A Lil EnglishParticipant]

I’ve enjoyed reading all of your posts on recent games. I’m pretty sure you would see it different if you chose to watch this game. I also got a similar feeling of what he did to Detroit in the playoffs. And also how he led the East all stars come back this year only to falter at the end.

All those points last night were not simple layups from bad defense. He was also 7/7 on FT’s in the last 3 minutes of the game. And if he is that aggressive against Boston & Chicago he will get to the line. It wasn’t just Humphries guarding him – none of those fouls were called on Humphries. Gerald "mr athletic" Green was 1 of 2 guys practically clinging on to his ankles on the play that put the Heat 3 up.

 

That video is not the same as watching the game.

 

 

[goneParticipant]

 Yes it was the nets yes there was no real pressure but at the end of the day you’ve got to make these shots and Lebron did 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

Are we forgetting it’s better for the Nets to lose this game for more pingpong balls and a better chance at keeping their pick, which they stupidly gave to Portland.

[Troupa DupsParticipant]

How can you critisize a missed free throw from Lebron and use that as a reason he’s not clutch. Foul Derek Rose inside of 2 minutes and every free throw he shoots is a brick, and this goes back to his Memphis days. Does that mean he’s not clutch?

[aamir543Participant]

 Thanks for reminding me to record First Take today CrissCross, lol, wouldn’t want to miss what Skip has to say abou this.

[Charlie SheenParticipant]

Rose isn’t clutch either, he missed 2 FT’s vs New York which led to Melo doing what he does best and thats being clutch

LeBron lovers waited for a moment like this to say he’s "clutch" FOH, lets see what happens in the playoffs when he chokes again

He’s a phony, a choke artist and will let his whole fan base down…………..again 

[andxxxParticipant]

 I don’t think any player is clutch consistently from year to year for example here are stats for notable players making game-tying/game-leading shots in the last 30 seconds of 4th qtr or OT with atleast four attempts.  Stats for this year are updated for April 15.

This year: Kobe (3/13); Durant (7/19); Melo (4/8); CP3 (6/11); Derrick Rose (5/9); D Wade (3/6); Lebron (N/A)

2010-11: Melo (5/9); Kobe (4/8); D. Rose (3/10); Durant (3/15); Wade (1/6); Lebron (1/8); CP3 (0/4); Dirk (3/6)

2009-10: Kobe (8/17); Lebron (5/15); Dirk (5/10); CP3(5/6); Melo (4/9); Wade (3/9); Rose (3/15); Durant (2/14)

2008-09: Dirk (4/7); Durant (4/11); Kobe (4/11); Melo (3/4); CP3 (3/5); Wade (2/17); Rose (2/14); Lebron (1/4)

2007-08: Lebron (7/15); Durant (4/10); CP3 (3/9); Dirk (2/10); Wade (1/10); Kobem(1/6); Melo (0/4); Steve Nash (1/5)

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 17 points straight and being clutch in the 4th is impressive against any team, I think people forget that everybody in the NBA is a PRO.

Let the Lebron haters hate, when he didn’t shoot the last shot against the Jazz(Who are an average team) and passed it off to Udonis Haslem a few months back ,he caught hella flack, but when he kills the Nets(Another average team) he doesn’t get credit.

So funny.

One thing you can’t dispute is, he’s the best player in the NBA.

[andxxxParticipant]

 Sorry forgot to source:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2008&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=0&time_remain_seconds=30&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&is_tying=Y&is_go_ahead=Y&c1stat=fga&c1comp=ge&c1val=4&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg

 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2009&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=0&time_remain_seconds=30&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&is_tying=Y&is_go_ahead=Y&c1stat=fga&c1comp=ge&c1val=4&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg

 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2010&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=0&time_remain_seconds=30&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&is_tying=Y&is_go_ahead=Y&c1stat=fg&c1comp=ge&c1val=2&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg

 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2011&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=0&time_remain_seconds=30&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&is_tying=Y&is_go_ahead=Y&c1stat=fga&c1comp=ge&c1val=4&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg

 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2010&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=0&time_remain_seconds=30&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&is_tying=Y&is_go_ahead=Y&c1stat=fg&c1comp=ge&c1val=2&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg

 

These numbers just show even some of the most "clutch" players aren’t clutch every single year.

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@FastAndFurious

I think it’s funny that you’re putting the Nets on par with the Jazz, describing them both as average teams. One team just beat the defending champs in three overtimes and is competing for a playoff spot in the West, while the other team is amongst the worst in the league, even with a superstar at point guard.

The Nets are awful with Deron Williams and last night they lacked him, Wallace and Lopez. LeBron was being defended by Green, Morrow and Humphries. The Nets were horrible defensively and gave him point blank layups at the rim. LeBron did what he had to do and you have to give him credit for that. He delivered and got his team the win. What most impressed me was he stepped up to the line and made the important free-throws. The pressure wasn’t high (crowd was cheering for the Heat and giving LeBron MVP chants), but he still made them.

Excuse me if I’m not going to sit here and compare this to what he did versus Detroit, one of the best playoff performances of his career. Excuse me if I’m deciding not to act like this was against the Bulls or Celtics.

[omphalosParticipant]

@English; just my luck the game I decide to switch from ends up being an instant classic. I’m not saying all of his 17 were layups, just that those in the video are going to be hard to come by in the post-season.

[A Lil EnglishParticipant]

Haha I didnt say instant classic –  maybe it has been overhyped… Nets should have definitely won.

The Mavs/Jazz & Wiz/Bulls were probably better games

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

17points straight in a close game in the NBA is impressive for anyone whether it’s against the Bobcats  or the Thunder.

Utah is 10th in the West

New Jersey is 11th in the East

Point being if the playoffs started today neither team would be in.

While there is an 10 game win difference Utah(32-30) New Jersey(22-40) , there both NBA teams and average ones at that.

And beating Dallas is not that big of a deal,they aren’t as good as they were last year.

I mean the Wizards beat OKC earlier in the year, doesn’t mean anything.

And just for the record Dallas has a 3-1 season series lead over the Jazz.

 

[andxxxParticipant]

 I’m surprised  the numbers I put up aren’t being discussed a little more.  It seems like proof that being "clutch" actually varies more often than not for most of players.  Durant is 7/19 on last seconds shots this year, but had years where he shot 3/15 and 2/14 respectively.  Dwyane Wade this year is 3/6 on those shots, but the year before he was 1/6 in those situations and he has even had a year where he shot 2/17 in the same situation.  Lebron has made 2 less gamewinners in the playoffs than Kobe with less games, yet he is supposedly awful in the clutch and when people say he lacks consistency I just gave out numbers that show noone is consistent in the "clutch".  The only guys I showed who were more consistent than others were Melo and CP3 and even they have their bad years.  I just don’t feel that "clutchness" should define players anywhere near as much as their impacts on teammates and ability to win games.

[DurantsWingspan]

Indiana is just a LeBron hater and never will give him his props. He has selective memory of LeBron. Only remembers him when he is bad. As a neutral fan of LeBron, don’t like him that much but like to see him do good for the league, this was a big game. As usual, the LeBron lovers will give it too much credit and the LeBron haters will give it none. Yeah it was against the Nets without their best players, but it still is an NBA team and a GREAT performance. NOTHING near Detroit, but a great regular-season performance none the less.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

LeBron managed to get things done last year against Boston and Chicago, omphalos. It was Dallas where he struggled. New Jersey was playing some beyond horrible defense and are not at all a team considered contenders, but LeBron got it done. It was at the end of the game. There in, it was in the clutch. Was it as much pressure as any of LeBron’s play-off let downs? No, but the big argument is "in the clutch".

People seem to forget that LeBron James has indeed won his teams play-off series. His fourth year in the league, he scored 29 out of his teams last 30 points to win Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons. He scored from everywhere, but his last few plays were drives. As long as it goes in, than what is there to complain about? "He doesn’t do it enough"? Have to start somewhere, lol.

Seriously though, I know LeBron has had let downs in his past couple play-off exits (he killed it against Orlando in 2009, I do not think he let down that much there). To me though, at the end of the day it is winning that matters. If he does not win a championship, you can keep on ragging him. If he does though, than the clutch debate will be all that people really have.

Plus, as I have told people here time and again, Dirk Nowitzki was NEVER considered overly clutch until last year. He would miss FT’s under pressure. Yes, the guy who barely ever misses a freaking free throw. He sucked in the 2006 Finals. Check his numbers. He got S-Jaxed in 2007. Than, last year, Dirk turned into freaking Jerry West in peoples eyes. He was huge in clutch situations. But, if Dallas loses, is Dirk still clutch?

It is about winning more than it is about how one wins. Kobe Bryant is an incredibly clutch basketball player, but name me the times he made game winning shots during the Lakers Championship runs. It is Game 4, Phoenix 2006 that most people remember. He put them up 3-1 in the series. Than, Phoenix came back to win with Kobe having a dud of a Game 7. Last Lakers title? Pau Gasol hit the shot to give the Lakers the win over the Thunder. Ron Artest bailed a terrible Kobe shot out with a high lay-up against Phoenix. Kobe shot 6-24 in Game 7. I still would rather Kobe have the ball than anyone else in a late game situation, but you have to put things in perspective.

LeBron is not on the "clutch" levels of Dirk or Kobe because he has not won a ring. He is not the shooter that Reggie Miller was, nor does he have even close to the same expectations. Reggie is one of the few "clutch" players I can think of without a ring. The thing is, I have seen LeBron choke or defer in the 4th quarter. But, I have also been at a game where he took over and hit the game winner as time expired (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200801300POR.html). I do not think he will be the constant failure many have him out to be in these situations. He certainly has had his let downs, but I think great players can indeed come around. He is a great player and I think he can indeed perservere like many players before him have as well.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

"NOTHING near Detroit"

"New Jersey was playing some beyond horrible defense and are not at all a team considered contenders, but LeBron got it done."

I wrote those exact same things, yet got called a hater. Comical.

I never once in this thread said it wasn’t a great performace or that he didn’t dominate New Jersey down the stretch of this game. I wrote he did what he had to do and got the job done, plus made his free-throws.

This is what I’m talking about on this site, when people can’t stand hearing views that don’t follow the trend in a thread. Acknowledging the fact that the defense was awful isn’t hating. I mean, nobody stopped the ball, blocked out, rotated… He got wide open layups point blank at the rim. That’s the truth, so how is it hating?

 

[BlueLacesParticipant]

I’m not disagreeing that LeBron is the best player in the NBA, because he is.  He got swept by the Spurs in his first final appearance, but no one expected the Cavs to be there.  He had a huge clutch game against the Pistons when he scored 25 straight or whatever it was for the Cavs.  I wish he would do that every big game

However, here are the two things I remember about LeBron’s last two playoff appearances.

1.) Having the best record in the regular season his last year with the Cavs and seemingly giving up in game 6 against the Celtics.

2.) Last year against the Mavs and LeBron disappeared in the 4th quarter the entire series.  Who cares if he was clutch against the Bulls and Celtics last year in the playoffs, he wasn’t clutch when it mattered most and that is my knock on LeBron.

[White ChocolateParticipant]

Don’t look now the Jazz are 8th in the West. So much for being an average team haha when was the last time a team in the play-offs had a top 10 lottery pick? Well there is going to be one this year.

[Author]

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