NBA Finals: 5 reasons LeBron James wins Finals MVP
By John Buhler
3. Back-to-back 40-point games in Games 5 and 6.
There’s something special about a basketball player scoring 40 or more points on an opponent in a game, especially in the NBA Finals. James has scored over 40 in back-to-back games for Cleveland while facing elimination. Who else can do that?
James is scoring at will against what was a top five defensive unit in the NBA this past regular season. He’s getting whatever he wants in the paint, as the Warriors lack the necessary rim protection now that Bogut’s out to honestly contest James’ elite play near the basket.
James is shooting 54.1% from the field and an impressive 40.0% from three-point land. He’s getting immense confidence in his hit-or-miss jump shooting in large part to his innate ability to get easy looks while driving towards the basketball. If only he was better at the line in this series (69.7%).
A 40-point game in an NBA Finals means that a player is carrying an immense burden of his team’s offensive output. While he’s certainly shooting most of his team’s shots, to reach 40 points in regulation, he must be shooting at a high percentage from all over the court. Games 5 and 6 for James have essentially made him the clear choice to win Finals MVP regardless of what happens in Game 7 on Sunday night.
Next: 2. James forced a Game 7 down 3-1 in the series.