The Cavs' Game 1 win was historic for LeBron James on two different levels.
Brian Windhorst, ESPN.com
ATLANTA – It may be one of the most impressive, if underrated, statistics in LeBron James’ lengthy playoff résumé.
Already in the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks, James has picked up another milestone. His 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the Cavs’ Game 1 victory made him the all-time leader in playoff games with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists with 52. Michael Jordan had 51.
It also was the 73rd time in his career he has scored 30 points in a playoff game, which is fifth all time, and he’s right behind Jerry West, who had 74, for fourth.
There are dozens of statistics out there comparable to these that illustrate what is now a heavily decorated record. But there is no other like this one: With the Cavs' win at Philips Arena this week, James’ teams have now won a road game in 21 consecutive series.
That streak, which covers victories in 12 opposing arenas and five seasons, is second all time to Jordan’s incredible run of 24 consecutive series with a road win. James' teams have a record of 29-24 on the road these past five seasons, which is a major reason he’s just three wins away from making it to his fifth consecutive Finals.
This season’s Cavs are now 5-1 on the road in the postseason, with the lone defeat coming on Derrick Rose’s buzzer-beater two weeks ago in Chicago. Otherwise, they've been unblemished despite having limited playoff experience among their core players coming in.
“I like playing on the road more than home,” James said this week. “To be able to silence the road crowd is the ultimate for me.”
It is true that James has feasted on what many consider a weak Eastern Conference during that span and he’s consistently been on teams with superior talent. But those qualifiers only slightly dampen the accomplishment considering how much of a challenge playing away from home usually is at this time of year.
In this series against the Hawks, James is trying to lead his team to victory in a series without the home-court advantage for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
Here’s a look at some of his dominant road games during the streak:
2010
In Game 4 on the road in Chicago, James scored 37 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists to put the Cavs up 3-1 and essentially end the series. This was the second playoff game in James’ career at the United Center. Little did Bulls’ fans know that he was going to beat their team six more times on that floor over the next five years.
In Game 3 in Boston in the second round, James had one of his many great games at TD Garden with 38 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to put the Cavs up 2-1 in the series. It would’ve been hard to believe it at that moment but this was the last game James would win in a Cavs uniform for the next four years.
2011
Back in Boston a year later, James (35 points, 14 rebounds) put the Miami Heat in the driver’s seat with a monster Game 4 overtime win that put them up 3-1. After losing to Boston twice in the playoffs with the Cavs, winning on this floor and eventually getting the series was a high point of James' first season in Miami.
2012
LeBron James had some of his best road games against a tough Indiana Pacers squad. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Trailing the Indiana Pacers 2-1 and knowing that Chris Bosh was going to be out the rest of the series with injury, James stepped up and delivered a crucial performance with 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists to re-establish control. James would win three more times at Bankers Life Fieldhouse over a three-year span and eliminated the Pacers all three years.
Once again in Boston, James had one of the finest games of his career in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. In a high-pressure elimination game, he scored 45 points with 15 rebounds and five assists to take the series back to Miami. The Heat won Game 7 and, two weeks later, James claimed his first NBA title.
2013
The Heat were 7-3 on the road as they repeated as champs this season but none was bigger than Game 4 in San Antonio in the Finals. Down 2-1, James rallied his team to a victory with 33 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. The Heat won the series in seven only after this victory restored their badly needed home-court advantage.
2014
James set a playoff career scoring mark when he put up 49 points in Game 4 in Brooklyn as the Heat seized a 3-1 series lead. He did it on 16-of-24 shooting, one of the most efficient games of his playoff career. He missed a free throw late in the game that would’ve given him his first 50-point playoff game, a miss that still nags at him.
2015
Facing going down 3-1 to the Bulls, James made the third buzzer-beater in his playoff career to win Game 4 and even the series at 2-2. It wasn’t a great night overall -- he took 30 shots to get his 25 points -- but it turned the series, as the Cavs won the next two games.
Then on Wednesday, James delivered a well-rounded 31 points with eight rebounds and six assists as the Cavs took home-court advantage from the Hawks. It was the first time in Cavs team history they won a Game 1 on the road (they had been 0-14) and the first time James had ever led his team to a Game 1 victory on the road (he had been 0-6).
“I love the road crowd,” James said. “They love me too, that’s why they boo me.”