CLEVELAND -- Wednesday could have been LeBron James' final home game in Cleveland.
He personally guaranteed it wouldn't be.
With the final seconds ticking off the clock in regulation of the Game 5 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, Victor Oladipo drove the lane looking to put Indiana ahead. In a moment reminiscent of arguably the signature play of his career, however, James denied the All-Star guard at the rim, securing one last possession for the Cavs.
The 4-time MVP wasn't done yet.
With three seconds remaining on the clock, the Cavs had one final chance to prevent overtime from occurring. Naturally, the moment was made for James, who seized on the opportunity with a game-winning 3-point buzzer-beater to give Cleveland a 98-95 victory 3-2 series lead.
James' game-winner capped off a masterful 44-point, 10-rebound, 8-assist performance -- his second 40-point showing in the first five games of this postseason. The magnitude of the moment clearly didn't seem to be lost on James, who proceeded to jump on the Quicken Loans Arena scorer's table in a celebration fit for a King.
"Just trying to make these fans proud and make my teammates proud," James told TNT after the game.
"I was able to make another play."
It was one of many he made on Wednesday.
With a Game 5 to remember in the books, the Cavs will now turn their attention toward their first opportunity to close out the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, when they'll return to Indianapolis for Game 6 against the Pacers on Friday night.
