by Game five returned to the Palace of Auburn Hills with Detroit looking to reclaim the series lead in front of their hometown fans. The Cavaliers used a 32 point effort by James to upset the Pistons 86 – 84. James again showed his ability to make those around him better by finding power forward, Drew Gooden, with 27 second left. Then, Gooden was able to hit the shot that put Cleveland ahead for good. LeBron James was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer after the game as saying, “They aren’t the Big Bad Wolf and we aren’t the Three Little Pigs. We are all grown men and we know we can beat them!”
Detroit was able to use late offensive rebounds by Rip Hamilton in game six to steal the victory and force a game seven. The Cavaliers played miserably in game seven and were defeated 79 – 61 ending their magical playoff run. It was a disappointing end, but it showed that, if given another chance, LeBron James could lead The Cavs deeper into the playoffs. He proved he could make game-winning shots when called upon and also set up his teammates.
The following season, 2006 – 2007, was a rollercoaster ride that, ironically, had Cleveland achieving the identical record of the previous season 50 – 32. The biggest difference was that this season their record qualified them for a second seed in the playoffs instead of a fourth seed. This also meant that the Cavs would be on the opposite side of the bracket with Detroit and the potential rematch would not take place until the Eastern Conference Finals.
The good news was that The Cavs were bringing back almost the same roster from the previous season. This continuity allowed them to continue to grow and improve. Mike Brown was doing a fine job mixing the blend of veterans and young talent to play solid defense. The season was highlighted by an eight game winning streak towards the end of the season. LeBron James continued to improve by the end of the season and finished with a 27.3 point average along with with averaging 6.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game.
The first round playoff series was a rematch against the Washington Wizards. The result was far different than the previous season’s dramatic series as Cleveland swept them with ease in four straight games. LeBron continued to dominate and the Cavaliers made quick work of the Wizards.
Round two would be a tougher task as they were playing against Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and the much improved, New Jersey Nets. The Cavaliers won game one with ease. Then, they used a 36 point LeBron James effort in game two as they rolled past New Jersey and took a 2 – 0 series lead. New Jersey bounced back at home and won game three to climb back in the series.
In game four, Larry Hughes chipped in 19 points alongside LeBron James’s 30 points as the Cavs narrowly beat New Jersey 87 – 85. Two games later, Cleveland finished New Jersey off in the series, 4 – 2, advancing to the Eastern Conference to once again play the Detroit Pistons. The previous season’s loss was still fresh on every one’s mind. The Cavaliers were determined to use that as motivation and confidence heading into the re-match. Fred McLeod, part of the television broadcasting team for the Cavs, shares what he felt about the Cavs’ chances of getting past Detroit in the series, “It really was a special year in which the brackets set up perfectly for the Cavaliers. I remember vividly when we clinched the division late in the season and Austin Carr crying because he was so happy, it was an emotional moment and I had to look away because I felt myself becoming emotional as well. Donyell Marshall was red hot in the series against New Jersey to get the Cavs to the Eastern conference finals, and it felt as though things were going their way. Mike Brown is such a hard working coach and I knew he would have them ready. He works so hard and is such a good man.”
Game one in Detroit ended in dramatic fashion as LeBron James had a chance to put Cleveland ahead in the closing seconds, but instead he opted to pass off to teammate, Donyell Marshall, who promptly missed a three pointer to give Detroit the win. James would undergo extreme criticism following the game for not taking the shot. Marshall had hit six three pointers in the game, six clinchers against New Jersey a few nights prior, and James saw him wide open for the shot. Despite playing the Pistons tough all night, and holding a lead numerous times, the Cavalier still lost game one 79 – 76. Fred McLeod reveals what is it like having to call that heartbreaking moment, “He made the right basketball play. LeBron was correct to pass it to Marshall, who was wide open and standing at his corner sweet spot. LeBron took a lot of heat for that but it was the right play. Jordan passed it once to win a championship in Phoenix. LeBron James was in a no-win situation there. But again, its basketball and those moments and plays are going to happen.”
Game two would follow almost the exact storyline as the previous night. Once again the game came down to the end with Cleveland having the ball and a chance to win. This time, LeBron James didn’t hesitate to drive the lane and try to take the game winning shot. He was fouled hard by numerous Pistons, only the refs chose not to call it, and the Pistons eventually got the rebound, ending Cleveland’s chance. The Pistons made some foul shots after Mike Brown’s technical penalty for arguing the fouls on LeBron not being called. Coach Brown was livid, and he had every right to be, as the Pistons were hammering James every time he touched the ball and it wasn’t being called.
Fred McLeod explains that it was hard to keep emotions in check when calling the game with very blatant missed foul calls by the referees, “He was fouled, and it is very hard. Those are times when I differ to my partner, Austin Carr. He can be very emotional but also very factual, he has been there and played and his word carries serious weight. The officials do a great job most times, but you will have those moments. We try to be fair to them and have even had officials come up to us and thank us for the job we do. They are trying their best, but it is not easy in moments such as those.”
The final score matched game one with Detroit on top 79 – 76. The Cavaliers used the anger and heartbreak from both of the close losses to come out hungry and aggressive in game three back in Cleveland. The series continued to be physical, but the Cavaliers fought hard and won games, three and four, to even up the series. The series was following the identical timeline of the previous year and game five was setting up to be every bit as crucial and dramatic.
Game five of the Eastern Conference Finals took place on May 31, 2007, and thanks to LeBron James it would go down as one of the greatest basketball playoff games of all time. In one of the greatest playoff efforts in the history of the game, LeBron James scored his team’s last 25 points to lead the Cavs to a 109 – 107 double overtime victory. James scored 29 of his teams last 30 and the Detroit Pistons had no answer for him. NBA fans everywhere sat in awe as LeBron James single handily took the game over late in the fourth quarter and carried his teammates to the game five win. Detroit had led throughout the night and if it wasn’t for the heroic effort of James, they would have easily won. Detroit had stifled James earlier in this series, but simply couldn’t contain the “Chosen One” on this epic night.
James was only 22 years old at the time and Cleveland fans had every reason to believe this was just one of many more amazing playoff games they would get to witness from their home-grown hero. Fred McLeod reveals what it was like to watch and be so close to such an amazing game, “I was part of the pre and post-game that night, so I was at the Palace watching it. I had witnessed so many great moments there over the years, but that was truly special. It was a sign that he had arrived and was the real deal. Also, I think it gave us the momentum we needed heading back to Cleveland to put them away in game six.”
For the second time in two years, the Cavaliers had the chance to put away the Pistons at home in six games. The stakes were even higher for this game, because one more win meant a birth in the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history. Cleveland fans stood at attention all night with their hopes held high that this year the Cavaliers would find a way to close it out. Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, made it known from day one that his sole mission was to reach the NBA Finals, and now because of his young phenomenon, he was only one win away. The Pistons focused all of their efforts during the game on trying to stop James. They held him in modest check through the beginning of the game, but it would only be a matter of time before LeBron broke loose. With the Pistons’ attention elsewhere, it allowed rookie sensation, Daniel “Boobie” Gibson, to get open for several three pointers. By the night’s end, Gibson hit five three pointers on his way to a game high 31 points.
Daniel Gibson’s incredible effort, combined with LeBron James’s 20 points, was far too much for Detroit to overcome. For the first time in their history, the Cleveland Cavaliers were headed to the NBA Finals. Fans, who had attended that night’s Indians game at Jacobs Field, stood in the walkway between the stadium and arena joined in excitement and watched the celebration on the big screen.
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