CLEVELAND — The perfectionist in LeBron James frowned upon the way he had played in the first four games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, shoveling up contested shots and committing a multitude of turnovers. The pragmatist in him knew it was necessary to continue to force the issue, with his teammates deeply affected by injuries.
On Tuesday, at Quicken Loans Arena, both sides of James walked off the floor pleased. With a 106-101 victory, the Cleveland Cavaliers established a crucial 3-2 lead in their series against the Chicago Bulls.
James was splendid, contributing a game-high 38 points to go with 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks.