As organically as the alliance between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade was constructed in Miami, no such luxury had ever been afforded to Kyrie Irving. No summer ball or private dinners before James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James had built a trust in Wade for flourishing in the most critical moments, for walking side by side in praise and criticism. “When they needed each other,” James Jones, a member of those Miami Heat and these Cavaliers, told The Vertical late Monday, “the faith was already formed through prior experiences.” And here in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, on a potential elimination night against the Golden State Warriors, Irving delivered the best supporting performance in Finals history. Forty-one points, 17-of-24 shooting and six assists from Irving, fortifying the 41-point, 16-rebound, seven-assist gem from James and securing a 112-97 victory Monday.
Ultimately, the younger star had delivered a performance that even Wade had never matched.
“Kyrie … one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen live,” James marveled Monday night.
James had seen special nights in his run with Miami, where Wade would produce a vintage game every so often. So when James needed the 24-year-old most, Irving validated the partnership. He hit fade-away jumpers, post-up shots, step-back jumpers and floating lay-ins. He’s a beautiful scorer and brilliant displays like this can appear seamless to him.
Now, the Cavaliers return the best-of-seven series to Cleveland, trailing the reeling Warriors 3-2. Stephen Curry missed 9-of-14 3-pointers, Harrison Barnes went 2 of 14 from the field, and the bench provided minimal lift. The Warriors shot just 14 of 42 from 3-point range.
Draymond Green will return from his suspension in Game 6, perhaps supremely motivated. He fought to attend Game 5 and watch inside the Warriors’ locker room, but eventually decided not to test the NBA and instead watched the A’s play from a suite at O.co Coliseum. Golden State lost center Andrew Bogut in the third quarter to a left knee injury, and he’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Just days ago, Irving and James had pounded the ball, sapped the roster’s confidence through isolation plays and shot Cleveland into a double-digit home loss in Game 4. But on Monday, the shot-making was historic, a 6-foot-3 point guard and 6-foot-8 forward dismantling Golden State’s game plan – and crowd. Around the league, team scouts and personnel dismiss the pair’s ability to sustain the amount of isolation sets required for this type of output.
On this night, though, the my-turn, your-turn system operated better than it ever has. Better than it has for anyone in a championship series, with the duo becoming the first teammates to each score 40 or more points in Finals history. These Cavaliers will always need the ball handling and vision of James, but the increased sense of purpose from Irving promises to elevate the franchise’s ceiling.
Irving wore jeans and a plaid shirt late Monday, his teammates and traveling friends pushing him to liven up and relinquish his guard. He had destroyed his matchups, whether Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson defended him, and knocked down the type of high-difficulty shots that deflated everyone associated with the Warriors. And still there was no boasting from Irving inside Oracle Arena, just a turn of the page and the conversation toward others.
“Just calm,” James said of Irving’s performance. “Just calm.”
Never rattled, and the question had been posed inside Cleveland’s locker room: Did this duo look familiar to the tandem that had played alpha male roles in South Beach?
“It’s similar in terms of production, but the team dynamics and vibe isn’t,” Jones told The Vertical. “We asked D-Wade to attack the basket, play strong and be a scorer first. Kyrie has a way to dominate with quickness, but we ask him to playmake, to create shots for everyone.
“Kyrie and LeBron could never expect to have that relationship instantly that D-Wade and LeBron already had. D-Wade and LeBron spent genuine time with each other before they came together. All LeBron and Kyrie could do was find common ground and keep growing toward a bond together.”
For one night, Kyrie Irving showcased the youth and the skill set that could form the best sidekick LeBron James has ever had. Right place, right time. Irving is healthy now, nearing his prime years, and there’s no slowing him down. Those 41 points silenced the Oracle Arena crowd and any Golden State runs.
Side by side, Irving and James. Forty-one points each. “It’s not always going to work,” Irving was saying late Monday. Yet these Cleveland Cavaliers need them at this level more often than not, and Game 5 went a long way to prove it. James’ old union with Wade had been nurtured through years and years of private workouts and dinners. No such prep activities for Irving and James. Just basketball. Now, it’s just a matter of how this duo can win Cleveland a championship.
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