01-05-2008	•	1 Comment »	•	4.88  Loading ...	Tweet	Share

2008 NBA Playoffs R1G5: Wizards Escape Elimination »

So far the Cavaliers-Wizards series has had it all: Trash talk, villains, heroes, rap stars and, of course, the Stevenson vs. James feud that seems personal and professional. And now, it will continue as Cleveland failed to close out Washington on their home floor. Despite back-to-back blowouts, no first round series has been more fiercely competitive than this one. It feels like the series – or maybe just the talking – has been winding up for weeks. In the last minute of play with a one-point lead LeBron James dribbled out most of the shot clock at the top of the key before deferring to teammates, but both their shots rimmed out. On the next possession, Butler had his shot and took it right at James for the game-winning lay-up with 3.9 seconds to go. James had one more chance, but their superstar couldn’t get a banked runner to drop. LeBron James scored 34 points – including 24 in the second half – on Wednesday tying his total from a game earlier. The MVP candidate also added 10 rebounds and seven assists in Game 5 to become the first player since Larry Bird in 1984 to notch a 30-point, 10-rebound and seven-assist performance in back-to-back playoff games. James also added two blocks and one steal for good measure.

Source: nba.com, yahoo.com, getty | From LeBron_NBA_20…