(Sports Network) - LeBron James has scored 30 or more points in each of his
last five games and is shooting no worse than 60 percent in that time.
Boring.
James is fourth in the NBA with 27.0 ppg and has failed to net at least 20
points in a game only once this season.
Yawn.
The premier athlete of the world, James is expected to take over a game in the
prime of his career and it's nothing special for how dominant the Miami Heat
superstar has been recently.
James hitting 30-plus points is as common as Chris Brown running into the
wrong arm of the law or Stewie Griffin finding himself in a peculiar
predicament. It's been business as usual for the one who voiced his desire to
bring several championships to South Beach.
Not five, not six, not seven ...
Yep, that's what the man better known as King James predicted. Of course,
James was just buttering muffins at an introductory press conference much like
he's been slathering points across opposing defenses. But at least he's helped
bring another title to the shores of Biscayne Bay.
James, the NBA's reigning MVP, set a franchise record with 30 points in five
straight games Sunday in a 107-97 win over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles
Lakers. He joined Hall of Famers Adrian Dantley and Moses Malone as the only
NBA players to score that many points and shoot at least 60 percent five
straight times.
That's pretty good company, but we all know James will eventually join
basketball immortality in Springfield, Mass., regardless.
The Heat wouldn't be where they are now had James not brought his talents to
South Beach. They are first in field goal percentage (0.492), third in 3-point
shooting (0.386) and fifth in scoring (102.8 ppg). Guess who's responsible?
You got it, James.
"I go out and just play my game. I take the shots that are there," James said
after the win over the Lakers. "If a guy's up on me I try to drive, a guy
backs up I shoot. However the game is played I try to take its course.
Offensively I'm just comfortable. I'm confident in my ability and the best
thing about it is my teammates allow me to do that."
James said the ultimate goal is to make plays to win. And the Heat are winning
at a rapid pace with five straight and 10 in the last 12 games. They've also
ripped off seven wins in a row at home.
Winning does a lot for a player to enjoy himself, according to James, the
youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points. He still knows
he can't do it alone regardless of what others may speculate.
"Winning does a lot. I love to compete, I love to go against the best, I love
to be out there with my teammates," James said. "We're enjoying the way we're
playing basketball right now because we're doing it as a team. It's not just
one individual or two guys. We're all contributing while we're winning right
now."
But let's be honest here, James is unlike any other player who has perspired
on the court. He's the size of an NFL linebacker and has the speed of a track
star. You don't need a sports scientist to decipher that this man is going to
produce numbers the likes of which haven't been seen before. Will he one day
pass Kareem, The Mailman or even his Airness in points scored? Maybe, because
he'll be playing at a high level for another six to eight years. At least.
When James joined Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Malone as three-time winners
of the MVP award he averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, and
shot 53.1 percent from the floor. The three-time NBA Player of the Month is
posting averages of 27.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists, and shooting
56.2 percent in 2012-13. Do we see another Maurice Podoloff Trophy in the
future? According to the Magic 8-ball, it is decidedly so. Just don't tell
Kevin Durant.
For how deep James has been dialed in from the floor, the Heat have benefited
as evidenced by their 21-2 record this season when shooting at least 50
percent from the field, including 38-2 through last season.
Before Miami closes out a five-game homestand and embarks on a four-game trek,
the Portland Trail Blazers will make a stop at AmericanAirlines Arena.
"We're happy that we're able to go out and play good ball no matter who it's
against," James said. "We understand that we have another really good team
coming into our building on Tuesday in Portland and we look forward to that
one, too."
You can bet the Blazers will be looking forward to the challenge after holding
James to 15 points in a 92-90 win back on Jan. 10. In 18 career games against
Portland, James is averaging 29.2 ppg -- just a few points shy of his current
scoring binge.
A lot can change with a player's game during a month of action and it would be
no surprise if James stays the course on this box score rampage.
The Sports Network