LeBron James is still a bad motherfucker.
Sure, he shot 10-for-30, and today’s Game 4 between the Cavs and Bulls was a mostly ugly brickfest. But after an offensive foul that was surely to strike up some furious choker narrative and a Derrick Rose layup that tied the game, LeBron did what he’s done many times the past five years—bury an opponent with the game on the line.
After driving the length of the floor only to put up a shot resulting in a non-call on Joakim Noah, LeBron cooly accepted the subsequent inbounds pass, took a step back and buried a buzzer-beating dagger right in Jimmy Butler’s face.
Each of the principals had an interesting—if not successful—game. Derrick Rose scored 31, tied the game late and continued to flash the idea of him being back. Kyrie Irving somehow played 41 minutes on a bum foot and was mostly a nonfactor. Butler scored 19, including a late stepback three that set the stage for the James offensive foul and Rose layup.
The end was not without a little bit of controversy. ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy pointed out that a replay review after the ball went out of bounds gave the Cavaliers enough time to draw up a play. Having said that, it’s unclear where David Blatt’s mind was at in the final seconds, as he frantically tried calling a timeout during James’s drive even though his team had used all of them up.
Here’s how the crazy finish sounded in spanish, with Alvaro Martin on the call for ESPN Deportes:
This series is still a tossup. The Bulls are dealing with their own injury issues, as they played today’s game without Pau Gasol. We’re looking forward to how this one plays out.
Game 5 is Tuesday.
Video via ABC