LeBron James said he doesn't "really get too far in sports talk radio or anything like that too much." That's probably smart, since none of the noise would have been all that positive over the past week. That is, until his performance in Game 6.
"Well, it was a matter of too much LeBron," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers after his team's 97-78 loss on their home floor. "He was absolutely sensational -- made every shot, set the tone for their whole team. I thought he gave them comfort."
Imagine that, comfort from James in the Heat's biggest game of the season. After all, Wilt Chamberlain numbers from the reigning NBA MVP like 45 points (19-26 FG), 15 rebounds and five assists will do that for a team.
"I think what fuels him is this moment, and the moment defines you," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "We've been through a lot in the last two years, and I think we've all learned how to compartmentalize and quiet all the noise out, and just focus on the matter at hand. He did a tremendous job of that. I don't think he felt all the noise in the outside. He was focused and concentrated on the team and what he needed to do to hep us win. That took a great deal of discipline on his part."
James had all the answers for the Celtics and his doubters in Game 6. The only question: Can he do it again in Game 7?
"I will continue to be aggressive," said James. "I will try to continue to play at a high level like I've done the whole postseason. If it results in the numbers or whatever the case may be, I'm going to go out there and play my game, and play as hard as I can. I don't really care what the stats say. I won't regret Game 7. Win, lose or draw, I'm going to go in with the mindset like I've had this whole season. And we'll see what happens."
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