OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – LeBron James had more points, rebounds or assists than anybody on either team. He played center, point guard and everywhere in between.
The only thing James couldn’t quite do was will the Cleveland Cavaliers to a victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
James had 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the second highest scoring triple-double in finals history but the Cavaliers lost 104-91 to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night to fall behind 3-2 in the series.
James is now running out of time to find enough help to overcome the deeper Warriors and lead Cleveland to its first major sports title in 51 years. Game 6 will be Tuesday night in Cleveland with the series set to return to the Bay Area on Friday if a seventh game is needed.
With All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and fellow starter Anderson Varejao sidelined by injuries, James has been a one-man band this series. He is averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists through five games. He had 39 points in a triple-double in a Game 2 win and backed that up with another brilliant performance Sunday.