LeBron James isn’t panicking despite the Cleveland Cavaliers losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals by 25 points.
James said after the 108-83 loss that the Game 1 defeat allowed him to see how the Celtics would defend him — and how he would have to adapt going forward for the remainder of the series.
LeBron: “I got a good sense of how they played me today, and how I need to play going into Game 2.”
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 13, 2018
James added that his level of concern is “zero” after the loss, noting that the NBA playoffs aren’t a single elimination contest.
LeBron: "I have zero level of concern at this stage. I didn’t go to college, so it’s not March Madness. You get better throughout the series. You see ways that you can get better throughout the series."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 13, 2018
James scored 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, including an 0-for-5 mark from three point range. The Celtics defended him well, forcing him into a lot of jump shots and keeping him out of the lane.
James knows what he has to do now. The problem is that his opponents will be demanding better of themselves, too.
