IS LeBron “King” James healthy? I mean, is he 100-percent fit to play today?
If yes, then the Cleveland Cavaliers could be off and running to the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals yet again beginning on June 6 (Philippine time).
If he is not healthy, then the Cav advance could be stalled in Game Four on Wednesday against the embattled but still dangerous Atlanta Hawks.
On Monday LeBron struggled with his first-quarter shots and wound up missing his first 10 field-goal attempts.
Then he found his range somewhat in the second quarter and began connecting.
But before that, he more than made up for the scoring slack by directing plays for his teammates. Leadership at its best.
That’s the beauty of LeBron. Like King James of old England, he commands. Authoritatively.
Like loyal and obedient subjects of old Britain, the Cavs listen. Dutifully.
Is it the Jordan era once again, when the book Jordan Rules was bible to wannabe stars?
And while LeBron was reining in his men against the Hawks, he would soon also start to assert his kingship. His uprising was ignited in the middle quarters and soon, he was all over the place.
He scored (37 points).
He rebounded (18 rebounds).
He assisted (13 assists).
And to cap his triple-double performance, he also played hero at endgame.
After the Hawks had hacked a 109-106 Cleveland margin through a five-point binge on Jeff Teague’s free throws and a triple for Atlanta’s 111-109 lead with under a minute left in overtime, LeBron, like Batman, took matters into his own hands.
He fired a trey from deep left. Ka-blam! 112-111 for the Cavs, 36.4 seconds left in the game.
He would next hound Teague like the loot-carrier in a bank heist, chasing the Atlanta guard out of position in a furious fast-break challenge to force Jeff into a miserable missed lay-up.
LeBron was given the rebound, drove quickly toward the left and glassed the shot that ensured a 114-111 victory, as the Hawks ran out of time in their counterattack to fall into a horrible 0-3 hole.
Clamped slightly by fatigue-induced cramps late in the game, LeBron had to fight on like a true Cavalier, his thoughts on injured teammates Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving fueling his every move amid adversity.
So, if LeBron, with his leg in deep doubt, should be able to photocopy Monday’s level of play anew today, the sweet sweep for the Cavs is almost a given in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals.
THAT’S IT. The homegrown product lost to an outsider. That’s what the search for PBA commissioner ended, when Chito Narvasa edged out Ricky Santos for the plum post of running the day-to-day affairs of the country’s No. 1 basketball league next season. With Chito Salud moving up as the PBA President/CEO in a radical departure from tradition, Narvasa becomes the new PBA commissioner starting in August, becoming the ninth person installed in that distinguished seat first occupied by the late, esteemed Leo Prieto with the league’s birth in 1975. One Chito was good enough for the loop. Today, we have two Chitos at the PBA helm. Will this bode well for the league? Only time can tell.