CLEVELAND _ LeBron James' lack of engagement in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs carried hints of 2010, when the Cavaliers star ripped off his jersey after falling to the Boston Celtics and was soon bound for South Beach.
James' dominance in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers felt like a flashback to 2007, when James scored the final 25 points in a double-overtime victory over the Pistons in the conference finals.
On Wednesday against the Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena, James showed he hadn't given up on the season, his teammates or his coach, even if that's not what his 2018 playoff debut really meant.
James was expected to come out like Superman and when he did, the effect was still dazzling. He made his first five shots. He scored the Cavs' first 16 points and scored or assisted on their first 22. As the Cavs opened an 18-point lead, James finished the quarter with 20 points, making 9-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Even with James pouring in 46 points, three shy of equaling his playoff career high, the Pacers proved they remain a formidable first-round foe. They gave the Cavs all they could handle in the final three quarters before the Cavs escaped with a 100-97 victory, evening the series 1-1.
There are still plenty of problems. Kevin Love followed up a nine-point Game 1 with a 15-point, eight-rebound Game 2, then departed with 3:43 to go with what Lue said was a jammed left thumb; he should be ready for Game 3. Jeff Green's shooting skills have suddenly vanished. Tristan Thompson didn't play, two years removed from being a valuable piece of the Cavs' championship team. The reserves produced just 16 points. Their free-throw shooting was poor, as they made 15-of-22 from the line.
But James' timely performance, along with coach Tyronn Lue's daring move to start a small lineup of James, Love, J.R. Smith, George Hill and Kyle Korver, proved that the Cavs aren't slinking off into the ranks of the playoff vanquished without a whimper.
After James turned in an MVP-caliber season at age 33, finding new ways to awe almost every night, a fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals seemed more likely than a quick postseason exit. Yet with the psyche of Northeast Ohio residents battered by years of losing, especially the Browns' recent nosedive into oblivion, it was almost impossible not to overreact after James suffered the first Game 1 playoff loss of his career.
It wasn't just the Cavs' 18-point defeat, but how James looked. He didn't get back on defense. He waited until 1:52 remained in the first quarter to take his first shot. His ennui seemed baffling, especially since James does nothing without calculation.
His indifference made it appear that he'd decided the Cavs didn't have enough talent to contend for the franchise's second championship. That notion made no sense, especially since he'd played all 82 games for the first time in his 15-year career. Even though he finished with his 20th career playoff triple-double, it may have been the quietest of all of those.
Early into Game 2, Cavs Nation breathed a sigh of relief. James isn't ready to pack up his family again, at least not until July, when he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.
He scored 29 first-half points, marking the eighth time in his playoff career he'd totaled 25 or more in the first half of a playoff game. It is twice as many as any other player in the league over the last 20 years, with Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson next best in that span with four each.
After sitting out the first four minutes of the second quarter, James got amped up again when Myles Turner bumped him into the stanchion on a James' shot attempt and there was no foul called. James wasted no time coming up with a steal and a flying slam. After the no-call, James scored the final six points of the quarter as the Cavs claimed a 58-46 halftime lead.
By midway through the third quarter, he'd reached 31, giving him 99 career playoff games of 30 or more points. With 6:45 remaining, he'd reached 40, giving him his 20th career 40-point playoff game.
Even with James at his peak, he needs help.
Not to be forgotten is the Cavs are putting it together on the fly, with a healthy roster for the first time all season as the playoffs began. Perhaps they have yet to find their motivation, similar to the chip on their shoulders the Pacers have been playing with all season. It may have been asking too much for the Cavs to come out of the postseason gate with momentum when they started their 32nd different lineup in Game 2.
But after the Game 1 debacle, it seemed like James' glorious season would come to an all too inglorious end. That could still happen, but not without a fight.
