LeBron James and Kyle Korver are the new 1-2 punch for Cleveland
The emergence of the Korver-James duo
These two high IQ basketball minds make for a viable duo in the postseason. If Korver can stay consistent and hit his shots, this will tremendously help out James, who already shoulders quite a bit for the team.
This duo is most effective when LeBron is making it a point to drive to the basket. Making a few layups and forcing the defense to collapse in on him leaves players, like Korver, wide open along the perimeter.
James, who sometimes falls into a habit of settling for jump shots, did no such thing last night. Out of the 24 shots LeBron attempted, only four were from beyond the arc and two were from just above the foul line. Other than that, James was in the paint or at the line doing damage.
As everyone knows, the biggest criticism of LeBron is his free throw troubles down the stretch. Well, tonight those doubters were silenced as James cooly and calmly knocked down 14-14 free throws in the second half.
Ironically enough though, the game-winning shot from James came from the outside. With just three seconds left, LeBron relied on pure instinct and confidently hit the dagger that sent Cleveland into a frenzy.
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Korver also stepped up in the second half, knocking down 3-5 from beyond the arc. The 35 points scored by James and Korver in the final 24 minutes accounted for 71 percent of Cleveland’s points.
Up next for Cleveland is Game 6 tomorrow night. As the old cliche goes, closeout games are the toughest. LeBron will once again have to be sensational, but some of that pressure can be taken off him with a third straight strong performance from Korver.
If Cleveland can get solid contributions from their role players, they should be able to close out Indiana and advance. A strong offensive showing coupled with another solid defensive outing is just what the Cavaliers need in what will be a raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
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All season long, Cleveland searched for a second option. After a thrilling Game 5 victory, the duo of LeBron and Korver may be the key to getting out of the first round and moving on in the playoffs.