Watch: LeBron James throws down monster dunk over Paul Millsap during his Miami Heat days, 8 years ago on this day
Eight years ago, LeBron James showed Paul Millsap who is the boss in a Miami Heat-Atlanta Hawks game. He got the home crowd at the American Airlines Arena going with his brilliant performance.
One exciting play was a monster dunk he made on Millsap. LeBron James was being guarded by Al Horford, then went past him and drove to the rim. Under the rim stood Millsap, waiting to stop James by drawing a charging foul.
8 YEARS AGO TODAY 👑
LeBron did this to Millsap on his way to 38 points.
"I guess guys thought I lost it or something. I'm feeling good."
https://t.co/VOMjy8z8f6
LBJ wasn't going to let the 6-foot-7 power forward stop him, so he lifted high and slammed the ball into the net, pushing Millsap to the ground in the process. A charge was not called by the referee, and Millsap was forced to shrug off the play. The game ended in favor of the Heat, a two-point victory.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat defeat Paul Millsap's Atlanta Hawks
It was the Miami Heat's 27th game of the season when they faced the Atlanta Hawks in a Southeast division matchup. They had a 21-6 record coming into the game and had every intention of keeping their success going.
In their earlier meeting, the Heat claimed victory by a 16-point margin, with LeBron James posting only 13 points. Paul Millsap was absent from the Atlanta roster as he was ruled inactive.
Millsap had just moved from the Utah Jazz to the Hawks, and it was his first time facing James in a Hawks jersey. He was fantastic for his team, posting a double-double – 26 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. But it wasn't enough to swing the victory to the Hawks.
AM Headlines -- #NBA -- @MiamiHeat rally to beat #Hawks 121-119 in OT. @KingJames 38 points.
The Heat were without Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James needed to work extra hard to pull off the win for the team. He posted 38 points and eight rebounds while adding six assists and two steals.
LeBron James made 16 out of 28 attempts from the field, registering a 57.1 field goal percentage. He also recorded a 44.4% accuracy from 3-point range as he netted 4 out of 9 attempts from beyond the arc. The Heat player closest to James' statistics for the night was Ray Allen with 19 points, six rebounds and an assist.
By the end of the fourth quarter, the teams were locked in a tie. The game was decided in overtime when the Heat outscored the Hawks 10-8 to seal the win.