LeBron James Guarantees a Better Performance in Game 4


Trailing 2-1 in the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat face enormous pressure heading into tonight’s pivotal Game 4. A struggling LeBron James, by his own admission, is carrying much of that weight for his team. After playing like “sh*t” in Game 3, James says he has no choice but to put on a better performance. Per Yahoo! Sports: “I’ll be better,’ James said before the Heat’s practice Wednesday afternoon. ‘I’ll be much better [Thursday] night.’ The Heat trail the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the Finals after a 113-77 blowout loss in Game 3 in which James missed 14 of 21 shots, including 11 of his 13 attempts. James said he takes ‘full responsibility for that’ and is putting pressure on himself to improve. James is drawing much of the blame for the Heat’s struggles after averaging 16.7 points on 38.9 percent shooting in the series. He has also missed 10 of 13 3-pointer attempts and only taken six free throws. In comparison, James averaged 29 points in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, 23.6 points in the second round against the Chicago Bulls and 24.5 points in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks. ‘I’m putting all the pressure on my chest, on my shoulders to come through for our team,’ James said. […] ‘I have to do whatever it takes,’ James said. ‘I mean, 7‑for‑21 isn’t going to cut it. Zero free throws. I had 11 rebounds, I had five assists, but 7‑for‑21 and zero free throws ain’t going to cut it. So I will be better tomorrow.'”