CLEVELAND (AP) – Marami ang may alinlangan, ngunit kumpiyansa si LeBron James na magagawa ng Cleveland Cavaliers na maidepensa ang korona.
Sadsad ang huling linggo ng regular season ang Cavaliers dahilan para mabitiwan ang pangunguna sa Eastern Conference bago tuluyang naungusan ng Boston Celtics para sa top seeding.
Sa kabila nang nakadidismayang four-game losing streak, tampok ang 98-83 kabiguan sa Toronto Raptos sa huling laro sa regular-season, mataas ang morale ni James na malalagpasan nila ang playoff simula kontra sa Indiana Pacers sa Game 1 sa Sabado (Linggo sa Manila).
“We have good chance to win it all, but it starts with our opponent in two days,” pahayag ni James.
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“So we have to be very determined but we have to be very smart about our game plan and how we execute. Through everything that went on with our team, we’re in a position where we can do something special still,” aniya.
Tangan ng Cavaliers ang 3-1 bentahe sa head-to-head duel kontra Pacers sa regular season.
Ngunit, hindi ito ang ginagamit ni James na pagganyak kundi ang hamon bilang lider ng Cavaliers.
“I’m not going to harp on about what happened in the regular season through injuries, through good wins, through bad losses,” sambit ni James.
“We have a good club going to the postseason and that’s all I can ask for right now. At the end of the day I can’t have my mind focused on the past right now. The present is the only thing that matters.”
Sa nakalipas na NBA Finals series kontra Warriors, binuhay ni James ang kampanya ng Cavaliers para makaalpas sa 3-1 paghahabol at kunin ang korona sa 4-3.
