LeBron James Keeps Cavs Alive in Game 5
May 29, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under Basketball
With the Orlando Magic holding a 3-1 advantage in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James needed to come up big to keep the Cleveland Cavaliers alive. On Thursday night, he did just that.
In 46 minutes, James scored 37 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out 12 assists. He finished 11-for-24 from the field and 15-for-19 from the free throw line.
LeBron James was King James in Game 5 (Image: Newscom)
For once, the Chosen One actually got some help. Mo Williams had 24 points and hit 7-of-14 shots from the field, including 6-of-9 three-pointers. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points, while Delonte West chipped in 13 points.
The Magic can’t be too disappointed in their play. Early on, they fell into a 22-point whole but they battled all the way back and even took control of the game in the third quarter. It took a heroic effort by James to extend the series to Game 6.
Dwight Howard was again a monster in the middle, totaling 24 points, ten rebounds and two assists despite fouling out in 37 minutes. Hedo Turkoglu led the Magic in scoring with 29, while Rashard Lewis scored 15.
Game 6 will be played in Orlando on Saturday. Considering that Game 7 is in Cleveland, the pressure shifts to the Magic to slam the door on King James and the Cavs.
