LeBron shows Pacers no pity

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after his basket drew a foul against the Indiana Pacers in the second half of Sunday's Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Cavs defeated the Pacers 106-102 to complete a series sweep. Joe Robbins / Getty Images / Afp

James bounces Indiana for fourth time in six years as Cavs complete sweep

INDIANAPOLIS - LeBron James stuck to a familiar script on Sunday.

Again, he bailed out the Cleveland Cavaliers. And again, he sent the Indiana Pacers home for vacation.

On yet another milestone day for basketball's king, James' crowning achievement was draining the go-ahead 3-pointer with 78 seconds to play en route to the defending champions holding on for a series-clinching 106-102 victory on the road.

"You have to mentally challenge yourself every year and go out and try to do what's right - putting your body on the line, putting your team on the line and trying to be successful," James said. "It's very hard."

But the four-time league MVP makes it look easy. He finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.

By winning his 21st consecutive first-round game, James broke a tie with Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson and James Worthy for the longest streak under the NBA's current playoff format.

By sweeping a series for the 10th time, James broke a tie with Tim Duncan for the most in a career, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

By going 13 of 25 from the field, he pulled into a tie with Kobe Bryant for the fourth highest postseason field goal total, with 2,014.

And by holding on for the win, James improved to 52-0 in the playoffs when his team takes a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter.

James considered the milestones to be mere footnotes on a day the Cavs blew a 13-point lead and allowed the Pacers to come all the way back and take a 102-100 lead with 1:31 to go.

"They were giving it all they had," James said. "Obviously, a loss would have ended their season. We just had to weather the storm once again."

That's when James took the cue and came to the rescue.

The captain made the long 3 to give Cleveland the lead, grabbed the rebound when Paul George missed a 3 with 1.9 seconds to go that could have forced overtime and, of course, sank one of two free throws to seal the win.

Now Cleveland takes a seven-game winning streak into the conference semifinals against either Milwaukee or Toronto.

For Indiana, it will go down as yet another tormenting chapter in its rivalry with James.

James' teams have eliminated the Pacers four times in six years and completed the first-four game sweep in Indiana's NBA history.

Cleveland finished the season 7-1 against the Pacers, winning the last four with a defensive stand, a rare 25-point game from three players, the largest second-half comeback in playoff history and now James' knockout punch.

Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 22 points. George had a series-low 15.

"It's real frustrating to continue losing to the same team or same person," George said. "Ultimately, he (James) is who I'm always going to have to see and face."

The Pacers sure didn't make it easy, though.

They charged back from a 96-83 deficit with a 7-0 spurt early in the fourth quarter. Then they methodically continued chipping away until Young tied the score at 100 and then gave them the lead.

But James answered with the go-ahead 3.

Uncertain future

Now the Pacers' attention turns to the future of George, the 26-year-old All-Star who can become a free agent in 2018. He didn't drop any hints about which way he's leaning after the game and there has been rampant speculation he could be traded this summer.

"I'm not at that point yet. Next question," George said.

Associated Press