LeBron James saves Game 1 with nasty two-handed dunk (Video)

Game 1 was slipping away from the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first round playoff matchup, but LeBron James’ two-handed flush turned the tide.

With just a few minutes left in the third quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 12. LeBron James had activated playoff mode, the offense was firing on all cylinders and it felt like Game 1 was completely slipping away for the Indiana Pacers.

But Paul George and company were resilient, and thanks to Lance Stephenson’s boost off the bench, the Pacers actually turned their double-digit deficit into a two-point lead with just over three minutes left in the game.

After weeks of worrying about one of the NBA’s worst defenses since the All-Star break, fans at Quicken Loans Arena had to watch as the tables were turned on the defending champs. Game 1 was legitimately slipping away at home.

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, that’s when LeBron James did typical LeBron James things and made sure everyone know why he was 44-7 all-time in first round playoff series entering Saturday’s action.

With the Cavs trailing by two, King James tied the game back up at 105, but the way he did it shifted momentum back in Cleveland’s favor right when it felt like the game was about to slip away.

When he saw second-year center Myles Turner matched up on him on the perimeter, James blew by his defender and burst toward the rim. He finished with a monster two-handed flush over the help defense, igniting a nervous Quicken Loans Arena and reminding everyone it’s not wise to doubt the King.

Starting with that bucket, the Cavs outscored Indiana 6-3 to close the game. LeBron finished with 32 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and three steals, shooting 12-for-20 from the field. Paul George led the Pacers with 29 points, seven assists and five steals, but it wasn’t enough to help Indiana pull off the Game 1 upset.

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Cleveland’s defense still looks like a major source of concern as the Cavs look to repeat, but as least they can rest easy knowing LeBron is capable of carrying the load at pivotal moments.