OAKLAND, Calif., (Reuters) – The Cleveland Cavaliers are undermanned, exhausted and facing an elimination game in the NBA Finals but LeBron James still likes his team’s chances of winning the championship series.
Following Sunday’s 104-91 loss in Oakland that put the top-seeded Golden State Warriors ahead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, a self-assured James explained why he remains confident in his team’s chances.
“I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world,” James, who led all players with 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the loss, told reporters. “It’s that simple.”
Few could dispute James’s self-assessment after another spectacular performance, where he posted his second triple-double of the series.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome a sensational performance by league MVP Stephen Curry, who scored 17 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach and the Warriors one win away from their first title in 40 years.
“I thought he was great,” James said after the game. “But that’s not why we lost. We gave up 18 fast break points. We gave up 15 second-chance points. Steph was special, obviously, but his hitting those step back threes is not why we lost the game.”
