OAKLAND, Calif. — All the chatter is that underdog Cleveland could be completely deflated from the way it flopped in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Determined and as motivated as ever might be more appropriate and fitting whenever LeBron James is in the mix.
"It's one of the toughest losses I've had in my career," James acknowledged Saturday, "because of everything that kind of went on with the game and the way we played. Obviously, we all know what happened in the game."
There were miscues aplenty, most notably J.R. Smith's offensive rebound in the final seconds of regulation that he dribbled back toward half-court in a tie game rather than shooting for a chance to win it — later insisting he knew the score, though that remains a huge mystery.