2023-07-29 11:18:00
During the summer, when the NBA is in hiatus mode, it’s always cool to look back on some memorable actions from the past, especially when they are told by players who were firsthand to witness them. This was the case of Brendan Haywood, teammate of LeBron James in Cleveland during the 2015 Playoffs.
We are in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Cavaliers and the Bulls. The game takes place in Chicago, and LeBron James’ gang trails 2-1 in the series. Suffice to say that it’s almost a must-win game for the Cavaliers, all in hostile territory.
During the final minutes of the game, Cleveland had things in hand after going 19-5 to the Bulls in the first part of the fourth quarter. But the Bulls hang on and take advantage of several Cavs errors, including LeBron James, to come back to 84-84 on a Derrick Rose layup nine seconds from the end. Except that just behind, LeBron will take over the King’s costume: he scores the victory basket on a throw-in 1.5 seconds from the buzzer, just in front of the Bulls bench, thus reducing the United Center to silence.
Brendan Hawyood, then Cleveland bench driver, returned to this action to Fubo Sportsand especially on what happened just before.
“Remember the shot that LeBron scored on Jimmy Butler in Chicago, the 3-pointer from the corner?
Bron was horrible at the end of the match: ball losses, missed shots, free throws. We arrived in the huddle, and David Blatt set up a system. He said to JR (Smith): ‘you are going to stand here and shoot’.
I’ve never seen that: LeBron James said ‘There’s no way’, he took the board, he erased the system, and indicated what he intended to do. He said, ‘you go there, you go here, I’m going to feint a direction then go to the corner, you give me the ball and I’ll take the shot’.
I’ve never seen anyone draw their own game-winner.”
At the time, in a post-match press conference, LeBron James did not hide: “To be honest, the system that has been put in place, I have striped“, had declared the King behind the microphones.
Initially, LeBron James was to perform the throw-in himself for legend Gerard Smith, which he categorically refused. It was finally Matthew Dellavedova who took charge of it, offering the match point to the King. The rest, we know.
“David Blatt draws the play up… [LeBron] said, ‘Absolutely not,’ grabs the clipboard, erases the play… I’ve never seen somebody draw up their own game winner.”
Brendan Haywood on LeBron’s game winner vs. the Bulls in 2015 ????
(via @fuboSports)pic.twitter.com/EkkGgKPpI0
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 28, 2023
This streak and LeBron’s statement that followed undermined the legitimacy of coach David Blatt, who was then in his very first NBA season in Cleveland. Blatt even came close to dooming his team that day by calling a timeout in the final seconds that the Cavs didn’t have, but the referees saw nothing. Fortunately, his assistant Tyronn Lue intervened in time.
During the following season, David Blatt was fired, replaced by Ty Lue. And the Cleveland Cavaliers ended up winning the NBA title against the Golden State Warriors after a memorable final.
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Source texte : Fubo Sports
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