CLEVELAND -- Since the end of Game 1 on Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers talked about needing more aggressiveness, especially out of small forward LeBron James, and the unquestioned on-court leader of the team responded in a big way in Game 2 at Quicken Loans Arena Wednesday night.
James led all scorers with 46 points, which helped the Cavaliers post a 100-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers and even the best-of-seven series at 1-1 heading into Friday night’s Game 3 matchup at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
While converting 17 of his 24 attempts from the field, including a pair of three-pointers and nine free throws, James pulled down 12 rebounds, handed out five assists, stole two passes and committed just three turnovers in the victory.
In the first 78 seconds of Game 2, James scored all six points for the Cavaliers, who jumped out to a 6-0 lead and forced Indiana into calling a timeout.
Following the timeout, James pulled up for a three-pointer from the left wing and buried the deep jumper, which gave the Cavaliers a 9-0 advantage over the Pacers.
Then, on the next possession, James hit a fade-away jumper from the left of the free-throw lane, and that brought the fans in Quicken Loans Arena to their feet with chants of “M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P.”
And there was more where that came from.
LeBron scored the Cavs first 16 points of the game 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/nOtXD3Snps
James gave the Cavaliers a 16-3 lead over the Pacers when he pulled up from the right wing and buried his second three-pointer of the game. On the Cavaliers’ next time down the floor, James found power forward Kevin Love open on the left side of the court and got the assist when Love buried a triple of his own.
James finished the first quarter with a game-high 20 points, six rebounds and three assists. He converted nine of his 12 attempts from the field (75 percent), including two of his four tries from three-point range and was plus-15 despite playing all 12 minutes.
After a lackluster first-quarter effort in Game 1 of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, the Cavaliers looked like an entirely different team over the first 12 minutes of Game 2.
The Cavaliers converted 14 of their 21 attempts from the field (66.7 percent) and went five of 10 from three-point range (50 percent) on the way to a 33-18 lead over the Pacers in front of the home fans.
Plagued by shooting woes throughout much of Game 1, four players made three-point shots in the first quarter. James led the way with two triples, while center Kevin Love and guards Kyle Korver and Jose Calderon each tallied one make from three-point range.
James punctuated an impressive first half in Game 2 in one of the most fitting ways he could, by throwing down a thunderous dunk that brought the faithful to their feet as the clock counted down to zero.
With just 17.3 seconds remaining in the first half, James caught a one-handed pass from power forward Larry Nance Jr. while rolling to the hoop and threw down the crowd-pleasing slam, which gave the Cavaliers a 58-46 lead over the Pacers after two quarters of play.
That was far from the only dunk James had in the first half.
With 1:21 remaining in the second quarter, James stepped in the passing lane, intercepted the ball from forward Myles Turner at the three-point line and raced in for the right-handed jam.
29 points on a Cavs playoff record 12 made FGs
LeBron doing his part to even the series
58-46 Cleveland leads at half pic.twitter.com/mZeoDaqoED
Earlier in the second quarter, James caught a pass from guard Kyle Korver at the top of the key, drove past an Indiana defender and rose up in the lane for the right-handed slam.
LeBron rolls to the rim for the stuff!
LBJ is up to 25 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST in Q2 on @NBAonTNT.#WhateverItTakes pic.twitter.com/eGSdtLyadm
James scored 29 points, pulled down eight rebounds and assisted on four baskets in 20 minutes of action during the first half. He converted 12 of his 16 looks from the field, two of his four three-point tries and three shots at the free-throw line.
