LeBron James getting hurt in a collision late in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday seemed to be a turning point in the game.
James ran into Jayson Tatum with about four minutes to go in the second quarter and left the game. He returned before the end of the half, with the Cleveland Cavaliers saying he had a neck strain and no concussion.
LeBron took a legit shot to the jaw from Tatum's shoulder pic.twitter.com/ac0QbGLrL2
— John Karalis ???????? (@RedsArmy_John) May 16, 2018
James came out with a scorching start in the game, putting up 21 points in the first quarter. He entered halftime with 25 and did not seem to be the same player after the collision.
“It was a tough collision — it knocked his head sideways,” Cavs head coach Ty Lue said after the game. “When he came back, I don’t think he had the same punch that he had before he left, as far as attacking the basket, playing with that force and power we talked about at shootaround. We’ll see how he feels.”
James did finish the game with a triple-double — 42 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists — but he lacked the same aggression and command of the game after the collision. His status will be an interesting question over the next few days with the Cavs down 2-0 against the Boston Celtics.
