LeBron steps up! Cavs pop Pacers at the buzzer!

The Cleveland Cavaliers had frittered away another lead to the Indiana Pacers by not making a shot from the floor since the 7:19 mark and a turnover with 26 seconds to go gave Indiana the ball and the opportunity to lead with mere ticks of the clock remaining in the game.

However, Indiana didn't have the best player in the world on their side and he decided to take over and make sure that his side was taking game five home.
LeBron James raced by to block the reserve layup of Victor Oladipo and called timeout with three seconds remaining to set up the movie-like ending as James took the ball on the inbounds pass and drained the long three-pointer for the game-winner by a 98-95 score at the Quicken Loans Arena.
James finished with 44 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists with Kyle Korver adding 19 points as the second highest scorer.
Cleveland can polish off the Pacers Friday in Indianapolis with a win on the road.

Swashbucklings

1) You want to know why LeBron James is the best player in the world?
It's because he plays the total game.
Stephen Curry is a better pure shooter, Kevin Durant is likely a superior scorer and there are a few players that are slightly better defenders, but none of those gentlemen are elite at all facets of the game and do what LeBron James does every night and perform like he does logging 40+ minutes every night.

2) I've always said that I hate to define the best basketball player ever because the positions are so different- playing the low post, running the point, the athleticism playing the 3 or 4 and the shooting of the off guard that it's very difficult to weigh players that do such different things on the floor.
However, I think a real case can be made that of the elite players of all-time that would be in the conversation of the best player ever, LeBron James might have the best case as the most versatile of those players and therefore maybe the best/

3) LeBron James blocking Victor Oladipo might mean nothing in the big scheme depending on if and when the Cavaliers leave the postseason and if James leaves via free agency after the season, but that is the type of hustle play that great players make.
The Pacers and Oladipo may want to claim the play was a goaltend (arguable), but watch the replay closely Oladipo doesn't go up strong with the ball and the short time that it took for Oladipo to go the reverse route gave James a split second to catch up and make the block.
Oladipo might have more to blame himself with than a close call.

4) And we move to the three, which was on the same end of the same floor that James defeated the Orlando Magic in the playoffs years ago.
Straight out of the films, James drilled his only three-pointer of the night and it looked good from the moment it rolled off his fingers.
Thaddeus Young played decent enough defense, it was not a wide open look, but it was enough of a look to send the Pacers home with a loss.

5) George Hill missed the game with a back injury, so Jose Calderon ran the point.
Calderon hit two three-pointers, but what he brings is different from what Hill or any other Cavalier at the point this season.
Calderon brings what observers always call the "little things" or the "intangibles" and plays under control with a calmness that only floor burnt veterans possess.
Calderon may not have the quickness to defend young and quicker guards on the point anymore as he did in his salad days in Toronto with the Raptors, but in limited playing time, I like seeing him on the floor.