If you said the Celtics were going to beat the Cavs in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, it would have been hard to believe. If you said LeBron James would go scoreless in the fourth quarter and 1 for 8 from the field in the second half in the loss, people would have laughed in your face.
James had his worst performance of the 2017 playoffs in the Cavs' dramatic 111-108 loss to the Celtics on Sunday -- Cleveland's first defeat of the postseason. The Cavs blew a 21-point third-quarter lead, and James, who typically rights the ship, helped lead it straight to the bottom of the ocean.
Understandably, James wasn't in a good mood after the game. He reportedly exchanged words with a fan on his way to the locker room after the game. From the Associated Press:
As he walked down a hallway inside Quicken Loans Arena to the postgame news conference, James, who scored just 11 points and only one in the final 18 minutes, was heckled by the fan for his sub-par outing. James spun around and asked the man to repeat himself.
The report says that the fan was ushered away from James and there was no further altercation. Later, while addressing the media, James seemed irritated by a reporter who asked him whether the Celtics' defense was a factor in his poor performance.
"Nah, I was just pretty poor. I mean, what do you want me to say?" James said. "It seems like you only ask questions when we lose. There's this weird thing with you, Kenny. You always come around when we lose, I swear."
LeBron James snipes at a reporter after Game 3 loss: "You only ask questions when we lose... You always come around when we lose, I swear." pic.twitter.com/QoIdcbK021
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 22, 2017
If the reporter, WHBC's Kenny Roda, only asks questions when the Cavs lose, that would have made this his first question of the entire 2017 postseason. Roda was quick to fire back with his retort.
For the record, been to 4 of 5 #Cavs home playoff games this year, home playoff games last year. Ask questions win or lose
— Kenny Roda (@TheKennyRoda) May 22, 2017
Should've read - all home playoff games last year. https://t.co/Wl0OjIZrzx
— Kenny Roda (@TheKennyRoda) May 22, 2017
For the record,said on my radio show #LeBron should be MVP this year,was a joke not in final 3,is best player in the world,great off court 2
— Kenny Roda (@TheKennyRoda) May 22, 2017
Letting fans get to him, calling out reporters -- it's safe to say that James was in unfamiliar territory after a disappointing Cleveland loss.
The good thing about his poor performance and his subsequent and somewhat childish reaction is that we finally received confirmation about something we've been questioning throughout the playoffs -- LeBron James is, in fact, human.
