CLEVELAND _ Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan is perplexed by how his team can't slow down Cavaliers forward LeBron James.
James is scorching the Raptors with his scoring, rebounding and passing, and has the defending NBA champion Cavs leading the Eastern Conference semifinals 2-0 as the series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Friday night.
"You find somebody to stop LeBron in these moments, I'll give you $100," DeRozan said Wednesday after the host Cavs defeated the Raptors 125-103.
James is playing fast and efficient once again in a starring role with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. James totaled 39 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in 36 minutes on Game 2.
"He did miss, what, six free throws," Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said with a smile Wednesday night. "He's playing unbelievable right now. He's playing like LeBron James."
James has displayed this type of play before with the Cavs and the Miami Heat during his 14-year career, including his dazzling performances against the Golden State Warriors in each of the past two NBA Finals.
"The man averaged a triple-double in The Finals [last year], so I don't think it's any better than that," Cavs center Tristan Thompson said. "He's playing at a high level, [and] that's what we're going to need from our leader."
Prior to Game 1, Raptors coach Dwane Casey called James "the hub of everything" for the Cavs, and marveled at how the four-time MVP understands where everybody is.
"He's a quarterback, he's a point guard, he's a power forward, he's a small forward, he's a shooting guard," Casey said. "He's everything. The way you kind of maneuver and match around him is so important. And then when you do that, you still have to stop him. He does a great job of playing out of the post, finding the weak side, seeing the cutters."
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue praised James for "playing with a great pace" in this year's first six playoff games _ four wins over the Indiana Pacers and two wins over the Raptors. Lue also said he likes the way J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are playing defensively, and that their work on that end of the court is allowing James "a chance to roam and rest."
Smith described James' play as "amazing," and Kyle Korver said he "leads by example."
"LeBron leading the way and the confidence that he breathes into the rest of the team is really exciting," Korver said.
"The thing that I have been most impressed with LeBron is he has the playoffs in mind the whole year. He wants to be playing his best basketball, he wants to be in the best shape, he wants to be at his peak in the playoffs.
"Watching him work throughout the season and get his body ready and his mind ready, you feel like in the regular season he is giving his all every night, but he has this new level that he is going to in the playoffs."
James is averaging 34.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in the 2017 playoffs. He's shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 65.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Shumpert said he is impressed with James' "ability to bounce back the next day" after a game.
"The part everybody else doesn't get to see is the next day to come in and him be the first one there [at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence]," Shumpert said. "Everybody's getting treatment and doing all this stuff and then he pops out of the hyperbaric chamber and nobody knew he was there.
"He does a tremendous job of taking care of his body. He comes out and plays 40 minutes, he plays 48 minutes, double-overtime, triple-overtime or whatever and then the next day we walk into the place and he's dunking after each possession. When you've got a guy like that that headlines your team, it's hard for other guys to take a day off. I think he does a great job of pushing us."
James, a three-time NBA champ, said he's "feeling pretty good" during these playoffs.
"My teammates do a great job of putting me in position, my coaching staff does a great job of putting me in position to be successful," James said. "And, I put a lot of work in on my craft and I live with the results."
Now with 5,777 points, James continued his ascent up the all-time playoffs scoring list on Wednesday when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) for second. Michael Jordan leads with 5,987 points, and Kobe Bryant (5,640) and Shaquille O'Neal (5,250) are fourth and fifth.
James is the only player in NBA playoff history to rank in the top 10 in points (second, 5,777), rebounds (seventh, 1,813) and assists (third, 1,392).
James admits he is "very blessed" and is "taking advantage of the opportunities."
"It was always my dream as a kid to be a part of this league," James said. "Once I seen I had a gift, and once I seen I had mentors and the people around me that was going to allow my gift to flourish, I didn't take it for granted. I still don't, even at 32. I've been in this league for 14 years, [and] I don't take the opportunity for granted. I've had some great teammates throughout my 14-year career. Been in the postseason for 12 straight years, so those guys and the coaches that I have had put me in a position to try to be successful, and it's up to me to go out and do it.
"So you hear a name like Kareem, a guy who's done so many great things, not only as an individual but as a teammate. Winning championships in the '80s and things of that nature and how many points he's put up. He's somebody that you read about. I didn't get an opportunity to actually watch him play growing up, but I just read about his accomplishments and things he was able to do, so it's pretty cool."
James Jones, who has been James' teammate the past seven seasons, likes what he sees.
"LeBron is our leader and we expect him to play well, especially at home, and to get us off to a great start in the series," Jones said. "He is playing phenomenal.
"He was really in attack mode [on Wednesday] where he was trying to dominate every facet of the game _ passing, cutting, moving, shooting and getting everyone involved. When he does that his greatness takes over and he ends up with nights like tonight, which was a very, very good ... but when you look at it, it doesn't really look like he was trying too hard."
