Top 6 highest scoring performances by LeBron James against Golden State Warriors
LeBron James has had one of the best careers in the NBA. With 18 years of experience under his belt, the King has won four NBA titles, four NBA Finals MVP's, three NBA MVP's, 17 All-NBA selections and 17 All-Star selections. James is still going strong as he looks to contend for the NBA title again with the LA Lakers in his 19th season.
Over the course of his career, LeBron James has developed rivalries against a number of teams. Be it the Boston Celtics in his early days with the Cleveland Cavaliers or the San Antonio Spurs during his four-year stint with the Miami Heat, LeBron found a way to overcome those obstacles, if not square things off.
However, one such rivalry that LeBron James is yet to overcome is against the Golden State Warriors. Despite all his efforts and brilliance, LeBron has a 1-3 record against Golden State in the NBA Finals.
With his desperate efforts to overcome the dominance of the Warriors, here are the top six highest scoring performances by LeBron James against the Golden State Warriors.
6) 41 points: 13/06/2016
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving began the Cavaliers' epic comeback from being down 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Having lost the previous game at home 97-108, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving rallied the Cavaliers together in this epic comeback performance. The pair recorded 41 points each, for the game.
LeBron also recorded 16 rebounds and seven assists, with three steals and three blocks for the game. He shot an efficient 53.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
Four years ago today:
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love combine for 84 points in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals. This fueled the 3-1 comeback.
LeBron James: 41 pts on 53 FG% & 50 3P%
Kyrie Irving: 41 pts on 71 FG% & 71 3P%
Kevin Love: 2 pts on 20 FG% & 0 3P% https://t.co/VLyuBgjxf0
The win in Game 5 shifted the balance of the series as it brought the momentum back to the Cavaliers. More importantly, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the game at the Oracle Arena in fantastic fashion as they won 112-97.
5) LeBron James goes off for 41 points in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals: 16/06/2016
Following up on their performance and win in Game 5, the momentum of the series was shifting in the favor of the Cavaliers as the series returned to Cleveland. LeBron James took over once again in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Scoring another 41 points following his performance in Game 5, LeBron James also recorded a near triple-double in the process of securing a win for the Cavs and forcing Game 7. LeBron recorded eight rebounds and 11 assists for the game along with four steals and three blocks. He shot 59.3% from the field while shooting 50% from downtown.
📅 On this day in 2016, LeBron James put together one of the greatest all-around performances in NBA Finals history:
✅ 41 PTS
✅ 8 REB
✅ 11 AST
✅ 4 STL
✅ 3 BLK
✅ 16-27 FG (3-6 3P)
✅ 6-8 FT
The Cavs beat the Warriors 115-101 to even up their series at three games apiece. https://t.co/QHYHYvJuQM
LeBron led Cleveland's statsheet in the points and assists department as the Cavaliers took the series back to San Francisco, where in a wicked turn of events, the Warriors would face one of the biggest upsets in modern sports history.