CLEVELAND (AP) – Numbers may not necessarily lie, though they can deceive.
On one hand, Cleveland’s “Big Three” of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for 84 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals – the triumvirate’s highest such total this postseason.
Of course, Love scored two of them. Irving and James, they each had 41.
If Cleveland is to complete an NBA Finals comeback unlike any other – the Cavaliers pushed the series to Game 6 with a win at Golden State on Monday night – then getting something out of Love might be a huge help. For as great as James and Irving usually are, to expect more Game 5-type performances from them again is asking a ton.
So if Love lightens their load, as he often has in their two seasons together, Cleveland’s less-than-great odds in this series figure to markedly improve.