LeBron James and the Cavaliers have consistently beaten many Great Eastern Conference teams in the playoffs. One former NBA star explains all of that sentiment.
From 2015 to 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers arrived in the NBA Finals for four consecutive seasons. LeBron James was a man of mission for the year.
The Warriors surprised LeBron in 2015 and dominated Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2018 to win three championships. However, East’s team had no answer to the Cavs.
The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have lost multiple series with James and Cleveland. The Indiana Pacers, now in the NBA Finals, also lost their Heartbreaker to them.
In 2018, Indiana faced the Cavs in the first round. They lost in Game 7 and the team’s star recently spoke about his emotions in the aftermath.
Tyrese Halliburton is now Indiana master, but it was Victor Oladipo right after Paul George’s departure. He led the team against King and Cleveland in 2018.
Despite the great series, Oladipo couldn’t help Indy outperform the hump. They lost in Game 7 in the first round and he recently spoke about how he felt after the game.
“I cried so hard because when you say, when it’s over in the playoffs, it’s when you realize how tired you are,” Oladipo said.
“You don’t tell yourself you’re exhausted.
“That’s what I really felt in my mind, and I felt that way in Game 7.”
The Pacers won the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals this season, but the team easily won with five. Oladipo had no experience with the same.
Starguard was excellent in that series. Oladipo averaged 22.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in seven games. The Cavaliers had no answer for him.
His Game 6 performances are most outstanding. The two All-Stars forced Game 7 by scoring a triple double of 28 points.
It’s amazing to hear the NBA stars cry, but it’s a natural response for the star who was trying to make it from the Eastern Conference during LeBron’s second stint with the franchise.