LeBron James scores 41 points as Cleveland Cavaliers break comeback record in 119-114 victory over Indiana Pacers

 

LeBron James finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers set an NBA post-season record by erasing a 25-point half-time deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 119-114 on Thursday night.

James passed Kobe Bryant for third on the NBA's career playoff

scoring list and tied another NBA record by winning his 20th consecutive first-round game.

The Cavaliers, leading 3-0, will try to sweep the series Sunday.

The incredible rally ruined Paul George's big night. He had 36 points, a play-off career-high 15 rebounds and nine assists.

Cleveland trailed by 26 in the first half and was still down 74-49 at halftime. The largest half-time deficit overcome to win a play-off game had been 21 points by Baltimore against Philadelphia in 1948.

 

James scored 13 points in the third quarter to get the Cavs within 91-84.

James now has 5,669 points, 29 ahead of Bryant. He also matched three other ex-Los Angeles Lakers - Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper and James Worthy - for most consecutive first-round wins.

This comeback began with a second straight devastating third-quarter punch from the Cavs.

After Cleveland cut the deficit to 77-62 and then watched Indiana extend the margin to 20, Cleveland finished the quarter on a 17-4 spurt to make it 91-84.

Things only got worse for the Pacers.

George's three with 5:15 to go gave Indiana a 104-103 lead - its last of the game. James answered with a layup out of a timeout and the Cavs never trailed again.

It's only the second time in the Pacers' NBA history they have lost the first three games in a best-of-seven series. Indiana has never endured a four-game sweep since joining the NBA.

NBA PLAY-OFF COMEBACKS

1989 Western Conference Semifinals Game 4, L.A. Lakers 97, Seattle 95

James Worthy scored 12 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers overcame a 29-point first-half deficit to sweep their Western Conference semifinal series, four games to none. The Lakers scored only 12 points in the first quarter, were behind by 29 points twice early in the second quarter.

2012 First Round Game 1, L.A. Clippers 99, Memphis 98

Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and Los Angeles rallied from 27 down to beat Memphis. Nick Young scored 19 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the midst of the Clippers' 26-1 run in the fourth quarter. The Clippers, trailing 85-64 after three quarters, matched the biggest fourth quarter playoff comeback in NBA Playoffs history.

2017 First Round Game 3, Cleveland 119, Indiana 114

Cleveland set an NBA postseason record by erasing a 25-point halftime deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 119-114. The Cavaliers Cleveland trailed by 26 in the first half and was still down 74-49 at halftime. The largest halftime deficit overcome to win a playoff game had been 21 points by Baltimore against Philadelphia in 1948.

2002 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3, Boston 94, New Jersey 90

Boston overcame a 21-point New Jersey lead to start the fourth, outscoring the Nets 41-16 in the final period. Paul Pierce scored 19 points in the final period that led the biggest fourth quarter playoff comeback in NBA Playoffs history. The Nets largest lead was 26 in the game.

2012 Western Conference Semifinals Game 3, San Antonio 96, L.A. Clippers 86

Tim Duncan scored 19 points, helping engineer a 24-0 run in the third quarter after the Spurs trailed by 24 points earlier, and San Antonio defeated the Clippers to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The Clippers opened the game with a rush, outscoring the Spurs 33-11 while shooting 64 percent. Los Angeles ended the first quarter on a 20-2 run, including 14 in a row. The Spurs took their first lead during the 24-0 run on a fadeaway jumper by Duncan, who scored nine points in the outburst that put them ahead for good.

2002 Western Conference Finals Game 4, L.A. Lakers 100, Sacramento 99

Sacramento outscored the Lakers 40-20 in the first and led by as much as 24 in the game. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers missed their shots, and Sacramento center Vlade Divac tipped a rebound blindly away from the basket. The ball went toward Robert Horry, who hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

2008 NBA Finals Game 4, Boston 97, L.A. Lakers 91

The Lakers had as much as a 24-point lead in the first half. Boston cut Los Angeles' lead from 18 to 2 by outscoring the Lakers 31-15 in the third quarter. Ray Allen's acrobatic lay in finished the comeback in the last 20 seconds.