Brandon Jennings did a little trash talking before Game 1 of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ playoff series, but the Miami Heat were simply not phased.
Jennings did his thing, scoring 26 points in the loss while Monta Ellis added 22, but the story of the game was all about the man who is knocking on the door of his fourth MVP in five seasons. That of course is referring to LeBron James.
James flirted with a triple-double on Sunday evening as the Heat cruised past eighth seeded Milwaukee by a final score of 110-87. LeBron however, showed more than just his usual dominance — in fact, he was downright efficient to sum things up. James finished the game with 27 points, ten rebounds and eight assists, just two dimes shy of the triple-double. In scoring his 27 points however, James only attempted 11 shots. He converted on nine of them, shooting 81.8% from the field. In all, James shot better from the field on Sunday night than he did from the free throw line (8-of-11).
NBA fans are well aware that the Miami Heat are the favorites to win back-to-back titles here in 2013, but with that being said there is still more than enough work for them to accomplish that feat. The Heat’s attempt at back-to-back rings does run through the production of their Big Three, but it has become more and more apparent that this on James more than anyone else. James has come a long way from his days of folding and feeling the pressure of critics and now he’s seemingly more dangerous than ever.
Milwaukee might not have much of a chance against the Heat in this series, but that’s because James continues to play on another level in comparison to others.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
