Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put a stamp on his remarkable 2024-25 season after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the city’s first NBA championship.

SGA joined a very short list of players who won an NBA title, regular season MVP and NBA Finals MVP while leading the league in scoring. The list includes Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and SGA. Before SGA’s amazing season, Shaq was the last scoring leader to win a championship and MVPs in the same season. Jordan is the only player to pull off the rare feat more than once (1991, 1992, 1996, 1998). Jordan and Shai, who averaged a league-leading 32.7 points per game, are the only guards to win a scoring title and championship in the same season.

“It’s hard to believe I’m even part of that group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said during his postgame media session with the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy sitting on the table. “It’s hard the fathom that I’m that type of basketball player. As a kid, you dream. Every kid dreams. But you don’t really know if it’s gonna come true. I’m just glad my dreams were able to come true.”

Shai also became the first player since Stephen Curry in 2015 to win MVP and a championship in the same season, and first player since LeBron James in 2013 to win regular season MVP and Finals MVP honors in the same season.

Where does Shai rank on OneManFastBreak’s annual top-five list? Take a look at this year’s OMFB Furious Five.

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Each year OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best players in the NBA. The OMFB Furious Five pays homage to the five styles of Chinese martial arts: snake, crane, monkey, praying mantis, and tiger.

The ranking system is based on one man’s opinion and does not follow or conform to any standard format, with more emphasis placed on how each player and their respective teams performed in the postseason. Stars are born during the regular season, but legends are made in the playoffs.

In 2024, OMFB Furious Five featured Jaylen Brown (5), Giannis Antetokounmpo (4), Luka Doncic (3), Jayson Tatum (2), Nikola Jokic (1).

Without further ado, here are the five best basketball players in the world.

5-JALEN BRUNSON
New York Knicks, Guard

Jalen Brunson’s arrival in New York may be one of the league’s most transformative acquisitions of the past decade. The two-time NCAA champion from Villanova has blossomed into one of the NBA’s best players after spending four seasons riding the pine in Dallas.

Jalen is arguably the most impactful player to wear a Knicks jersey since Patrick Ewing, and he’s giving New York its best shot at ending a five-decade title drought. Brunson was named to the 2025 All-NBA second team and received the Clutch Player of the Year for his uncanny ability to deliver big shots in the big moments for the Knicks.

During the regular season, he averaged 26.0 points and 7.3 assists across 35.4 minutes per game in 65 games. He amped it up in the postseason, averaging 29.4 points and leading the Knicks to their first appearance in the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. He hit the 30-point mark in four of the six games in the conference finals against the Pacers, but it wasn’t enough as the Knicks fell in six games.

A week after being eliminated, the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. Knicks brass felt the team — with Brunson as the leader — is close to winning a championship, and it was time for a new voice and a coach who can help Brunson and the Knicks get over the hump. Brunson’s decision to sign a four-year, $156.5 million extension shows he’s prioritizing bringing a championship to New York above all else. He could have signed a five-year, $269.1 million max deal, but by giving the Knicks the hometown discount and allowing the franchise salary cap flexibility.

4-GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Milwaukee Bucks, Forward

A calf strain forced Giannis Antetokounmpo to watch his Bucks get eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. This year, Giannis and Bucks watched Damian Lillard rupture his Achilles tendon in the first round and the Pacers eliminated the Bucks for a second straight season.

Giannis put together another outstanding season, averaging 30.4 points (second in NBA), 11.9 rebounds (sixth in NBA), a career-high-tying 6.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60.1% from the field (sixth in NBA). Giannis led the Bucks to the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup championship and named the Emirates NBA Cup MVP.

As long as Giannis is healthy and playing, the Bucks remain one of the top teams in the East. But for how long will he keep playing for the Bucks? Only Giannis knows the answer.

“I feel like there’s a lot of time that life has made me said or, like, frustrated since I was a kid – I never gave up,” Antetokounmpo said following the Bucks’ season-ending loss to the Indiana Pacers. “I always try to find solutions in my life, which I think it translates to the basketball court. I always try to, even though things might not happen the way I want it to happen, I always have class and I have this optimistic mentality of coming back, keep on working and there’s going to be a day that’s gonna be your turn. It cannot always go your way.”

3-TYRESE HALIBURTON
Indiana Pacers, Guard

Tyrese Haliburton redefined what it meant to be “clutch” in the 2025 NBA postseason. Since the NBA’s play-by-play era began in the 1996-97 season, LeBron James has the most postseason shots to either tie or take the lead in the final three seconds of regulation or overtime with eight. Before the 2025 postseason, no one else had more than four in nearly the past 30 years. Haliburton delivered four game-tying or game-winning shots in one postseason run — one clutch shot in each round.

The 25-year-old Pacers point guard played like a man possessed. You could tell Hali was bothered by being labeled “overrated” by an anonymous panel of his peers, which was published by The Athletic. Haliburton wore that “overrated” label like a badge of honor. He used the disrespect as motivation in authoring the greatest playoff run by a single player. He took it out on his peers, sending them home in the playoffs one by one.

Haliburton sent Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks home in the first round and he sent Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers home in the conference semifinals. Both series ended in five games, with Haliburton playing a key role in slamming the door. Haliburton gave us one of the most iconic moments in sports with his game-tying shot at Madison Square Garden, making him public enemy No. 1 in New York City.

The Pacers came back from a nine-point deficit in 52.5 seconds in Game 1, with Haliburton sinking a dagger jump shot that bounced five feet in the air before swishing through the net. The dagger shot and the choke sign celebration — an ode to Reggie Miller’s pose in front of Spike Lee — will linger in the memories of Knicks fans for a long time. The “Hali Clutch Tour” rolled into Oklahoma City in the Game 1 of the NBA Finals and didn’t disappoint. Haliburton’s 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left gave Indiana its first and only lead of the game as the Pacers struck down the Thunder 111-110. “Man, basketball’s fun. Winning is fun,” Haliburton said after his game winner.

An Achilles injury was the only thing that derailed the Haliburton train. He seemingly was well on his way to a big Game 7 in the NBA Finals when his Achilles tendon snapped seven minutes into the first quarter. When Hali fell to the ground he pounded the floor, not just from the pain he was feeling on his foot but from the emotional pain. His body failed him at the worst possible time.

2-NIKOLA JOKIC
Denver Nuggets, Center

Nikola Jokic has been so consistently good the past five years that we’ve grown accustomed to his basketball brilliance.

The Joker is one of nine players to win at least three MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5), Wilt Chamberlain (4), LeBron James (4), Larry Bird (3), Magic Johnson (3) and Moses Malone (3).

Jokic had the best season of his career in 2024-25, which is absurd considering Joker is a three-time MVP and 2023 NBA champion. This past season, he averaged a career-high 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, a career-high 10.2 assists and a career-high 1.8 steals while shooting 57.6% from the field and a career-high 41.7% from three in 36.7 minutes per game. He became just the third player in NBA history to average a triple double for a single season, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson. Westbrook and Robertson are guards and primary ball handlers, which makes Jokic’s triple-double season even more impressive considering he’s a center.

The big man from Serbia was named to his fifth All-NBA first-team selection for the fifth consecutive year and finished second in the MVP voting. He led the Denver Nuggets to the second round before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games. Jokic’s size and skill gave OKC all kinds of problems, and if the Nuggets had better production from their bench they might have knocked off OKC.

Time will tell where Jokic will ultimately land on the list of all-time great centers. Jokic’s resume speaks for itself. But in order for Joker to match or surpass Kareem, Russell, Wilt, Moses, Hakeem, Shaq, and Duncan, he needs to win more than just one NBA championship.

And now, the No. 1 player in the world. Drum roll please . . .

1-SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER
Oklahoma City Thunder, guard

Lou Williams had a front row seat to Shai’s early development having been his teammate during SGA’s rookie season with the Clippers. He observed how Shai dedicated himself to improving at just 20 and is now seeing him emerge as one of the best basketball players in the world at age 26.

Lou Will said this about Shai on the “Run It Back” podcast on FanDuel TV: “He was always a responsible player who carried himself like a mature professional. He had big aspirations and was clear about his endgame. He knew his abilities.”

SGA embodies the qualities of a throwback player who understands the importance of consistency and patience in achieving the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder (68-14) finished atop the NBA and tied for the sixth-best single-season record in league history. Oklahoma City outscored opponents by an NBA-record 12.9 points per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 32.0 points and 6.0 assists per game and shoot 50.0% or better from the field in a season. Jordan accomplished the feat twice (1989 and 1990).

Shai had his Jordan moment in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. He came up big in a must-win game for the Thunder. A loss would have meant a 3-1 hole. A win meant the series tied 2-2.

The Pacers had an opportunity to put a stranglehold on the series after taking a four-point lead with four minutes left in the game. That’s when SGA put on his Batman cape and took over.

“I just tried to be aggressive. I knew what it would look like if we had lost [Game 4], and I didn’t want to go out not swinging,” SGA said about taking over in the last three minutes.

“I didn’t want to go out not doing everything in my power to try to win the game,” he added. “The guys deserve that much from me, the coaching staff deserves that much from me. I just tried to be aggressive, but also let the game come to me and not to force anything and not do anything crazy. I guess it paid off.”

Shai absolutely sensed the moment, scoring 13 of his team’s final 14 points including a contested step-back baseline jumper over Aaron Nesmith where he nearly fell to the floor but somehow regained his balance and buried a clutch shot to give OKC the lead for good.

He finished the game with a game-high 35 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line in leading OKC to a 111-104 victory to tie the series. The Thunder went on to beat the Pacers in seven games to win the championship.

“That’s what it is all about. Winning, especially at this time of the season, it comes down to the moments, it’s gonna come down to end of game … it’s gonna come down to the moments where who makes winning plays,” Shai said. “I relish those moments. Love the moments, good or bad. When I was a kid shooting on my driveway, I’ve count down the clock for those moments and I now get to live it. It’s fun. I relish it.”

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow and subscribe to his YouTube channel at @onemanfastbreak1.

Photo credits: Associated Press and Getty Images

Being a basketball fan is truly exciting right now. The game is transitioning smoothly from one era to the next. LeBron James has had an incredible two-decade career, and it’s time for King James to relinquish the crown. The luster of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ decade-long success is beginning to fade.

The NBA is currently undergoing a rebranding, and it’s happening at an ideal time. TNT Sports’ 35-year television partnership with the NBA will conclude after the 2025 season. The league will begin its new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime starting in the 2025-26 season. Additionally, John Tesh’s iconic “Roundball Rock” theme music is making a return, introducing a new generation of basketball fans to its catchy tune. There couldn’t be a better way to kick off this rebranding than with some fresh headliners.

The 2025 NBA Finals features two burgeoning superstars in Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly crowned 2025 NBA MVP, and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Shai and Tyrese are not superstar-level yet, but they are at the doorstep. They are spearheading this new wave of contemporary talent and ushering in the yet-to-be defined era.

“We’re witnessing the changing of the guard,” said former L.A. Clippers guard Lou Williams on the “Run It Back” podcast on FanDuel TV. “We are seeing the LeBrons and Kobes of our time. These young superstars are starting to make their mark on the game and define where it’s headed in the future. SGA is going to be one of those special players.”

Lou Will had a unique perspective on Shai’s development, having been his teammate during SGA’s rookie season with the Clippers. “This is my rook,” said Williams, who recognized Shai’s maturity from Day 1. He observed how Shai dedicated himself to improving at just 20 and is now seeing him emerge as one of the best players in the league at 26.

“[Shai] was always a responsible player who carried himself like a mature professional,” Williams noted. “He had big aspirations and was clear about his endgame. He knew his abilities.”

Lou Will’s praise for Shai’s work ethic underscores SGA’s character. The Clippers had a strong feeling that SGA could become an All-Star caliber player, but an NBA MVP? “Not in my wildest dreams,” Lou Will admitted. “I’m sure Shai had [MVP] on his vision board.”

SGA embodies the qualities of a throwback player who understands the importance of consistency and patience in achieving the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

The same holds true for Haliburton. The 25-year-old Pacers guard possesses an unorthodox shooting style but plays like a classic point guard with modern capabilities. He can dominate a game without scoring, pushing the pace like an ’80s playmaker while boasting an astonishing 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. For context, a 3:1 ratio is considered well above average, while 4:1 is excellent. Haliburton is operating on an entirely different level in terms of minimizing turnovers.

Few players can match Haliburton’s killer mentality. He has made headlines by leading two historic comebacks with game-winning shots that thwarted the playoff hopes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He also delivered a memorable choke sign celebration at Madison Square Garden after making a dagger shot that seemingly floated five feet in the air before swishing through the net. That shot and choke sign celebration will linger in the memories of Knicks fans for a long time.

The Pacers achieved remarkable comebacks, erasing a seven-point lead in 34.7 seconds to eliminate the Bucks in five games, then erasing another seven-point deficit in 46.7 seconds to take a 2-0 lead against the Cavaliers. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, they came back from a nine-point deficit in 52.5 seconds in Game 1, with Haliburton sinking critical shots during each comeback.

SGA and Haliburton — alongside Anthony Edwards (23), Jalen Brunson (28), Cade Cunningham (23) and Luka Doncic (26) — are entering their prime years. Five of the six made the 2025 All-NBA teams (Luka didn’t qualify because of games missed), and they represent the present and future of the Association. They represent the major shift in the NBA as we head into a new era.

HISTORY LESSON: BREAKING DOWN DIFFERENT ERAS IN THE NBA

How did we arrive at this point? Let’s pop the VHS tape into the VCR and press rewind. The first 75 years of the NBA can be divided into six distinct eras.

In the league’s formative years of the 1950s and 1960s, eight basketball pioneers — Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell — established the groundwork for greatness. Bill Russell and his Boston Celtics didn’t just participate; they dominated the era, clinching 11 championships in 13 seasons. This is an astonishing achievement that is unlikely to ever be matched.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Rick Barry, George “Iceman” Gervin, and Julius Erving carried the torch through the colorful and turbulent era in the 1970s. This was a challenging time marked by the competition between the ABA and NBA, resulting in dwindling audiences.

The arrival of Magic Johnson in L.A. and Larry Bird in Boston revitalized basketball during the 1980s, often regarded as the league’s golden era. It was a period of glitz and grit. Showtime vs. Celtic Pride. East Cost vs. West Coast. This period also saw the emergence of the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons, along with three-time MVP Moses Malone’s move from Houston to Philadelphia. Moses teamed up with Julius “Dr. J” Erving in the 1982-83 season and co-authored one of the most dominant playoff runs, sweeping Magic’s Lakers in the ’83 Finals and capping off a 12-1 postseason record. Moses’ audacious move may be the first variant of a superstar player joining another superstar player to form a super team.

The Air Jordan era took flight in the 1990s. After grabbing the baton from Magic and Bird, Michael Jordan ruled the ’90s, winning six championships in eight years and denying peers Sir Charles Barkley, Karl “The Mailman” Malone, and Patrick Ewing from winning rings. Jordan’s Bulls was a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and pulled off the three-peat twice.

Hakeem Olajuwon benefited from Jordan’s brief two-year retirement, leading the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. David “The Admiral” Robinson teamed up with Tim “Big Fundamental” Duncan in San Antonio, winning titles in 1999 and 2003.

The immediate post-Jordan era was dominated by five players: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Duncan. Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan combined to win 13 NBA titles, four regular season MVPs, and eight Finals MVPs from 1999 to 2010. For a decade, the road to the NBA Finals went through Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan. It was the dueling dynasties era. Shaq and Kobe led the Lakers to a three-peat — one of only five three-peats in NBA history. Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers did it. Russell’s Celtics did it. Jordan’s Bulls did it twice. And Shaq and Kobe were the last to do it in 2002.

Nowitzki bridged the gap between the Kobe Bryant era and the LeBron James era. Nowitzki ended Kobe’s reign as the world’s best player when Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks squad knocked off Kobe’s Lakers in the 2011 playoffs. In the same playoff run, Nowitzki pumped the brakes on LeBron’s title run when his Mavs defeated LeBron’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

LeBron’s appearance in the 2011 Finals started a run of eight consecutive trips. He put together a super team in Miami, winning two titles in 2012 and 2013, but lost to the Mavs in 2011 and Duncan’s Spurs in 2014. After a four-year run in South Beach, LeBron returned to Cleveland to fulfill his promise of bringing a championship to his hometown team. He delivered on the promise by winning a title in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional title drought.

Dirk and KG revolutionized the game, ushering in a new era of big men. The Big Ticket made it possible for high schoolers to skip college and turn pro at 19. Nowitzki opened the door for European bigs who preferred to face the basket instead of having their back to it. Nowitzki and Garnett were instrumental in the game’s evolution, as more and more teams shifted away from traditional power forwards and opted for stretch-4s.

LeBron took the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals but could muster just one victory in four matchups against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. Curry led the Warriors to four championships in eight seasons — two of those championship banners were aided by the addition of Kevin Durant.

The Dubs Dynasty opened the portal to the “small ball” era and advanced metrics. Analytics experts preferred shooting 3s over 2s — it’s either a layup or dunk or a 3-ball — and the midrange shot was viewed as somewhat of a dinosaur idea. The modern NBA puts a premium on pace and space.

The Pacers and Thunder are extensions of the pace-and-space approach, with some added features. Much like today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, the game continues to evolve. Sure, the traditional back-to-the-basket center may be extinct, but centers are more valuable than ever. Small ball is becoming out of style like skinny jeans. Big-boy basketball is back — with pace and space.

Spurs 7-foot-6 center/forward/guard Victor Wembanyama is the type of player every team craves. Wemby is a big man with a handle who can shoot threes while being an anchor on defense. There’s only one Wemby, but teams will scour the Earth to find a similar player.

OKC found a Wemby-type unicorn in Chet Holmgren. Holmgren may not be as tall as Wemby but he can do all the things Wemby does. Holmgren has a decent handle for a 7-1 player, which allows him to get to his hot spots. Holmgren is also one of the best shot blockers in the NBA, which allows OKC defenders like Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso to press up and stay attached because they know Chet has their back.

The Thunder and Pacers both subscribe to the pace-and-space philosophy, but what allows them to consistently play at hyper-speed is depth. Indiana and OKC throw a wave of bodies at teams, saving their starters from having to play heavy minutes.

Today’s NBA is littered with 3&D wing players and big combo guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Cade Cunningham. What’s also becoming in vogue is skilled big men. Teams are looking for the next Nikola Jokic, a 5-man who can be the hub of an offense. We are deep in the era of positionless basketball where forwards can play center and centers can play guard.

Because the ball is in the hands of principal scorers, the traditional point guard is being phased out. What used to be the primary job of the point guard is now being distributed to other positions.
Haliburton might be one of the last of the Mohicans in terms of pure point guards, much like the gas-guzzling SUVs with V6 engines. It’s becoming harder and harder to find them. Suppressing point guards and centers isn’t healthy for the game. We need more of them, not less.

Shai, Cade, and Luka, on the other hand, are the archetypes of today’s point guard. They are big, heliocentric guards (6-6 and 6-7) built to play downhill, able to attack a compromised defense while coming off ball screens. They can score or draw fouls in the paint or draw multiple defenders and kick it out for open threes. It’s essentially an extension of what LeBron or James Harden have been doing for the past decade.

What separates SGA from Luka and Cade is his ability to do damage in the midrange area. The midrange (or the high post) is the area on the court that’s 4 to 5 feet below the 3-point line or roughly 15 to 20 feet away from the basket. It stretches from one side of the free throw line elbow to the next. Attack the mid-range is a core part of SGA’s game, and he’s proficient at it. During his 2024-25 MVP season when he averaged a league-leading 32.7 points per game, Shai made 57% of his mid-range attempts. The average NBA team’s midrange field goal percentage is around 42%.

There’s a fictitious narrative in basketball in terms of the mid-range shot. Many pundits and players jumped on the 3-point shot bandwagon and shoved the middie to the side of the road. But the middie never really went away. It is still the weapon of choice in the postseason, and it is still the best shot that’ll lead to a title. Outside of Steph Curry’s Warriors and Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics, the mid-range or the mid-post is where championship teams earn their money.

The adage of “what’s old is new again” seems fitting here because SGA is making the old mid-range shot the new viral trend.

As much as we’d like to see our sports heroes play forever, they can’t. Every now and then they might be able to summon a flicker of their greatness, but eventually the flame will go out.

We’ve been fortunate enough to watch all-time greats like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant entertain us for years. However, Father Time is undefeated and the clock will eventually run out on LeBron (who turns 41 next season), Steph (36), and KD (36).

It’s time for a new generation of stars to entertain us. Embrace the changing of the guard and get excited. It’s going to be fantastic.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow and subscribe to his YouTube channel at @onemanfastbreak1.

A big shout-out to NBA commissioner Adam Silver for gifting basketball fans the in-season tournament. It was a smashing success. It created a ton of buzz right around a time when football usually dominates the headlines.

The championship game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 9 was the most-watched regular-season game — excluding Christmas Day games — the NBA has had on any network in nearly six years, according to ESPN. It averaged 4.58 million viewers on ABC and ESPN2, peaking at about 5.68 million viewers.

The NFL still rules the American sports landscape, but the NBA in-season tournament certainly carved out a nice niche that could be parlayed into something special for years to come. Sure, there are still a few things Silver and his top executives could smooth out. But the NBA certainly hit the jackpot with this out-of-the-box idea that worked because the players bought in, especially the league’s superstars.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were clearly motivated to win the inaugural tournament. The Lakers’ All-Star duo set the tone by treating every game as if it was the playoffs. After finishing 4-0 in group play, the Lakers eliminated Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns in the knockout round, and capped their perfect 7-0 tournament run by sweeping both games at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to capture the first ever NBA Cup.

LeBron had 30 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in just 23 minutes in L.A.’s 133-89 demolition of the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals. Two nights later, it was Davis’ turn to dominate as he authored Shaq-like numbers with 41 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks in a convincing 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the championship game.

“We have a great 1-2 punch,” said LeBron, who was named in-season tournament MVP. “I took care of the semifinals game and he took care of the finals game, and that’s what it is all about. Hold each other accountable.”

Davis, who showed a lot of grit and fire during L.A.’s impressive run, mirrored what his fellow Klutch Sports buddy said in the locker room while celebrating with teammates.

“Bron carried the torch [in the semifinals] and it was my job [in the finals]. We have each other’s back,” Davis told Spectrum SportsNet’s Allie Clifton. “When one of us is struggling like I was Thursday, he carried the torch. Tonight, he got off to a slow start but I had his back.”

Davis had everyone’s back in the two games in Vegas, putting on a defensive clinic. He “only” tallied six blocks in the semifinals and finals, but he seemingly contested every shot in the paint and his presence was felt by everyone on the Pelicans and Pacers.

LeBron backed up AD’s monster game with an efficient 24-point, 11-rebound night in 34 minutes. LeBron was locked in throughout the tourney, averaging 26.4 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and an eye-popping 60.6% on 3-pointers (James shoots 34% for his career). He turns 39 years old on Dec. 30. For a man who has accomplished just about everything in the sport, LeBron understood the historical nature of the moment.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to say you were the first to do something,” LeBron told Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell. “This will go down in history. We’re the first team to ever win the in-season tournament. I’ll take some history for sure.”

“It absolutely means something,” LeBron added. “Every time you put the Lakers into the history books, it means something and I’m happy to be part of it.”

The Pacers, led by tournament breakout star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, came into the finals as the NBA’s No. 1 scoring team at 128 points per game. They love to play at a breakneck pace. But against the Lakers, their speed and pace were overwhelmed by the Lakers’ size and length.

L.A. had a massive 42-point advantage on points in the paint and outrebounded the Pacers by 23. The Lakers made only two 3-pointers for the game, but their 86 points in the paint more than made up for their lack of threes. The Lakers’ dominance in the paint didn’t allow Haliburton to get a running start, forcing him to slow down and play in more halfcourt sets where the Lakers defense can load up and trap him.

Haliburton, who entered the tourney final averaging 26.7 points and a league best 13.3 assists, was held in check with 20 points and had three turnovers.

Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors and Kyrie Irving’s Celtics will compete for top spot in the East. (AP)

When LeBron James left The Land and took his talents to Hollywood to play with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Eastern Conference finds itself in virgin territory. Teams from the East are finally free from the chokehold King James has put on the conference the last eight years.

The floodgates are wide open and the team is breathing the biggest sigh of relief has to be the Toronto Raptors. The Raps have had their hearts broken by LeBron in each of the last three postseasons. And last season was arguably the most painful of them all as LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Raptors’ historic season – a year in which they owned the East’s best record at 59-23 – with an embarrassing 4-0 sweep.

Now that The King has moved West, there will be a new king of the East and the West just got even tougher – unless you’re the Golden State Warriors.

OneManFastBreak.net predicts the eight playoff teams in the East for the 2018-19 season.

Eastern Conference

1-Toronto Raptors – General manager Masai Ujiri made a couple of big moves this offseason. First, he fired the reigning Coach of Year Dwane Casey and elevated assistant Nick Nurse to head coach. The second big move Ujiri made was trading All-Star DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for All-Star forward and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard. The move was definitely an upgrade as Leonard brings toughest to a Raptors team that at times plays a bit soft. The Kawhi addition should only make a 59-win team only better. The Raptors could end up with the best regular-season record, but it doesn’t mean they will represent the East in the NBA Finals because the team right below might be more battle tested. Prediction: 60-22

2-Boston Celtics – Speaking of that battle-tested team …. Brad Stevens showed why he’s the best coach in the NBA by taking a patchwork Celtics roster to the conference finals and got within one win of reaching the NBA Finals despite losing Gordon Hayward minutes into the season and having Kyrie Irving for only 60 games. Stevens will have his roster intact for this season, with another year under the belts of young studs Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Boston has one of the best benches in the league, a scrappy unit that includes Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Aron Baynes, and Marcus Morris. Prediction: 58-24

3-Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers will go as far as Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will take them. The duo got the young Sixers to the conference semifinals before getting schooled by the Celtics. Embiid is predicting an MVP season, while Simmons looks to build off his Rookie of the Year season. The big question for Philly is solving the Markelle Fultz puzzle. His well-chronicled shooting woes aside, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick seems like a bad fit in Philly. He is struggling to find his shot within the offense and his lack of outside shooting restricts what the Sixers can do when he’s on the court with Simmons and Embiid. Prediction: 55-27

4-Milwaukee Bucks – New head coach Mike Budenholzer’s first order of business is to find second and third option to take some pressure off his superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who made second team All-NBA last year. If the Bucks can get more production from Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton, the Bucks could be in the hunt for one of the top four spots in the conference. Prediction: 49-33

5-Indiana Pacers – The Pacers grew a ton after their epic seven-game playoff series against LeBron’s Cavs. Victor Olapido is an emerging star and coach Nate McMillan has some nice supporting pieces to work with in Myles Turner, Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison and Domantas Sabonis. The acquisition of Tyreke Evans didn’t make headlines offseason, but it’s a subtle but smart move that could pay off in the long run. Prediction: 48-34

6-Detroit Pistons – A full training camp and preseason should help Blake Griffin get more comfortable in Detroit. If Griffin can return to his all-star form, he and center Andre Drummond form arguably the best center-power forward tandem in the East. Dwane Casey takes over a squad that underachieved under Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy’s heavy handed approach didn’t work, so the Pistons are hoping Casey can connect better with players, especially Griffin and Reggie Jackson. Prediction: 46-36

7-Miami Heat – The Heat are good enough to make the playoffs, but not enough to make a major dent in the East. They have a borderline star in Goran Dragic, but he’s not good enough to carry the team on his back. For the Heat to be elite, center Hassan Whiteside has to step up and be the dominant force he was pegged to be when the team signed him to a $98 million deal. Prediction: 42-40

8-Charlotte Hornets – This is a big year for point guard Kemba Walker. The Hornets have not locked him up to a long-term deal, waiting to see if he’s worth the money. Walker will be motivated to show Michael Jordan and the Hornets brass that he is a franchise player and should get a max deal. Prediction: 41-41

Last two teams out: Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets.

Paul George and Lance Stephenson are in a dogfight with the Hawks. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Indiana Pacers were in a fighting mood the day before the 2014 NBA playoffs started. Unfortunately, they were fighting themselves.

Lance Stephenson and Evan Turner got into a scuffle during practice, according to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, and had to separated by teammates David West and Luis Scola. Turner walked away from practice with a cut.

The fistfight is symbolic of how the last three months have gone for the Pacers.

They have gone from being title contenders to punchlines on social media, and the hits just keeps on coming. The Pacers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, are in a dogfight with the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks, who finished with a sub-.500 record during the regular season.

On paper, this first-round series should be an easy one to predict. The big, bad Pacers against the undersized Hawks. But somehow, the paper got wet as the Hawks are looking like the contenders and the Pacers are acting like a bunch of pretenders.

Pacers All-Star Paul George summed it up best after his team lost Game 3 to fall behind 2-1 in the series. He said, “Our toughness is questionable right now.”

That’s a bold statement coming from the team’s best player.

Toughness was supposed to be the Pacers’ calling card. It was the foundation of their vaunted defense. George and Co. had the second-best defense in the NBA this past season, and they have a roster loaded with Ruff Ryders.

But sometimes having physical toughness doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have mental toughness. That’s where the problem lies with the Pacers. Between the ears.

Confidence is a fragile thing, and it’s hard to get it back once you lose it.

Right now, the Pacers have lost their swagger. Instead of walking around with their heads held high, they’re looking around for excuses when things go wrong. And the guy on their team that has lost his mojo is 7-2 center Roy Hibbert.

When Indiana coach Frank Vogel was asked if Hibbert will start Game 4 against the Hawks, Vogel said: “We’ll see.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

“He’s our anchor,” Vogel said. “We won 56 games with him as a starter. We’ll see. Probably.”

You can understand Vogel’s hesitation when the subject of benching his “anchor” came up. It’s a tough call. Benching Hibbert could have a domino effect. He could lose Hibbert mentally for the rest of the playoffs. He could alienate the rest of the team. He could also save the Pacers from elimination.

The Hawks and their perimeter-oriented offense is a bad matchup for Hibbert. His forte is protecting the rim, but if the Hawks are staying away from the rim then there’s no need to have rim protector. Hibbert looks like a fish out of water guarding Hawks center Pero Antic, who prefers to drift outside the 3-point line. It’s a terrible matchup for him.

One solution is to start Hibbert but pull him after 3-4 minutes, and insert Luis Scola at center to team up with West. Scola has been much more effective than Hibbert in the Hawks series and arguably the Pacers’ second-best player at the moment.

But Hibbert is just one part of the multiple issues the Pacers need to address.

The starters look gassed and Vogel may need to reach out to his bench to stay afloat.

Indiana also has too many ball-stoppers on the floor and not enough shooters. Spreading the floor could open up lanes for George to drive and kick.

But mainly, the Pacers need to address their locker room. They are a fractured group. They have two guys in Stephenson and Turner looking for the their next contracts. That’s likely why they were fighting. They’re both after the same thing and they will go through each other to get it.

Money is the root of all evil.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Andrew Bynum adds more depth to an already deep Pacers squad.

When Andrew Bynum signed with the Indiana Pacers, a lot of people were surprised. Why would a team as good as the Pacers take a chance on a headcase and malcontent like Bynum?

Well, Saturday night was a perfect reason why. Bynum scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just 20 minutes off the bench for the Pacers as he helped In Indiana beat the Detroit Pistons, 112-104. Sure, he wasn’t all that efficient, making just six of 18 field goal attempts but he also hadn’t played in a while until just recently. He scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Tuesday in a 94-83 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers are now probably one of the deepest teams in the NBA with Bynum, Evan Turner and Luis Scola coming off the bench. All three players are capable starters on a lot of teams in the league.

Bynum gives them a legit low-post scorer with starting center Roy Hibbert being more of a rebounder and defender, not a great offensive option. Bynum has a history of being inconsistent and tough to stay focused but he’s on a veteran minimum contract and if he makes any waves, he can be released. The upside is he gives the Pacers another big man to throw at the team they will likely meet in the Eastern Conference finals — the Miami Heat.

Turner gives them a sixth man-type who can play shooting guard, small forward and in certain cases even point guard with his ball-handling skills. Turner gives them insurance in case Lance Stephenson bolts as a free agent and gives them an X factor in the postseason as well. Turner can create some nice mismatches in the playoffs.

Scola gives them a veteran power forward that can keep David West rested and healthy. Not to mention, Scola’s playoff experience will also be a welcome addition.

Noticing a pattern? It’s all about the postseason and if there was ever a year the Heat are vulnerable? This is it.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Derrick Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season because of issues with his surgically repaired left knee. (GETTY IMAGES)

It has been 18 months since Derrick Rose last played in a meaningful game. If you’re a Chicago Bulls fan, it must seem like 18 years.

Rose says he’s ready to take the court when the Bulls open the season. That’s all good for team morale,  but the bigger question is which Derrick Rose are we going to see when he takes the court? Rose was suppose to be ready by the 2013 playoffs but for whatever reason he bailed out on the idea and decided to shut it down for a season.

That caused many to wonder if Rose will ever get over the mental hurdle of his devastating knee injury that has consumed him and the organization for two years.

“I should be able to play in the first game of the season,” Rose said during a promotional tour. “I know I’m anxious right now to play. My health is everything right now. It’s 100 percent.”

Rose’s teammates, as well as head coach Tom Thibodeau, is behind him 100 percent. They believe in his talent and trust his judgment. If he felt he wasn’t ready five months ago, then the Bulls will roll with that. Thibodeau wants (and needs) a healthy Derrick Rose for an entire season because anything less won’t cut it in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

OneManFastBreak.net examines the teams in the Central Division and where they’ll finish:

1-CHICAGO BULLS

Thibodeau is glad to have Rose back for two reasons: 1) he gains a superstar who can create offense for the team and himself, and 2) he doesn’t have to answer questions from the media on when his superstar will be back. The Bulls competed hard against the Heat in the 2013 conference semifinals, as Thibodeau squeezed every once of energy out of his undermanned squad. But in the end injuries and Miami’s sheer talent was too much to overcome. If there was a silver lining in the series it was the emergence of guard/forward Jimmy Butler. The third-year man out of Marquette went head-to-head with LeBron James and didn’t blink. Thibs has penciled in Butler as the starting shooting guard when training camp opened. “He’s an excellent athlete, very explosive, very quick to the ball. That tells you how he sees the game. His reaction to the ball is special. He’s very quick, strong, can think ahead, very strong,” Thibs told Comcast Sports. Not bringing back super sub Nate Robinson was a bit of a surprise, but Thibs still has Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson to bring energy and experience off the bench. Luol Deng enters the final year of his contract and will be playing for a long-term, lucrative extension. Deng is only 28 and an important cog in Thibs’ system, so re-signing him should be a top priority.

2-INDIANA PACERS

Frank Vogel has built a monster ballclub in basketball-crazy Indiana. The Pacers are big, young, athletic, and nasty. If you watched last season’s conference finals you saw how the Pacers posed a difficult matchup for the Heat. The biggest matchup nightmare is 7-2, 280-pound center Roy Hibbert. The former Georgetown Hoya was a beast in the paint during the Pacers’ seven-game war with the Heat, and he was the main reason why Miami signed 7-footer Greg Oden, despite all his health issues, in the offeason. Hibbert worked out with Tim Duncan during the offseason and claims he’s in the best shape of his career. Scary thought considering he played at an All-Star level during the playoffs. But Hibbert is just one half of Indiana’s studly 1-2 punch. What really excites Pacers fans is the growth of swingman Paul George. George made the All-Star game for the first time, and he should be a fixture there for years to come. Indiana’s top brass recently went all in on the 6-8 forward, signing him to a max contract worth around $90 million for five years.

3-CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Fiery owner Dan Gilbert admitted he made a mistake firing head coach Mike Brown three years ago. Gilbert corrected his mistake by bringing back Brown to lead a young but talented bunch led by budding superstar Kyrie Irving. The No. 1 pick of the 2011 draft and 2012 Rookie of the Year is slowly helping Cavs fans get over the LeBron breakup, and with good reason. Irving showed flashes of greatness in his second year, averaging 22 points and leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring. Injuries have been the only drawback for an otherwise dynamite first two seasons for the former Duke Blue Devil. Irving is already considered one of the top best point guards in the Association, and his needle is still pointing up. Speaking of injuries, the Cavs rolled the dice in the offeason with the signing of often-injured center Andrew Bynum. If Bynum plays, the Cavs get dominant big man with a championship pedigree. Rookie forward Anthony Bennett, the 2013 top overall selection out of UNLV, still has a ways to go before he gets in basketball shape, but the Cavs are really excited about his potential. Bennett has drawn comparisons to another former UNLV star, Larry Johnson.

4-DETROIT PISTONS

The Bad Boys are back! Well, sort of. General Manager Joe Dumars had a very busy offseason, ditching Jose Calderon, Brandon Knight, and Jason Maxiell and bringing in Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings, and fan favorite Chauncey Billups. Dumars also picked up some talent in the draft, selecting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tony Mitchell, and Peyton Siva. There are so many new parts in Detroit the state’s auto industry could receive a big boost. Dumars coveted Smith to pair up with his young big men in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. But that would mean Smith would need to play small forward, and that eliminates his advantages against slower power forwards. It will be interesting to see how new head coach Maurice Cheeks utilizes his bigs because all three have limitations offensively. Smith and Monroe are not good enough shooters to space the floor, and Drummond is a true low-post player who won’t drift to the perimeter unlike most centers today. Jennings is a huge upgrade over Knight. When he’s shooting well, Jennings can play against anyone in the league. But when’s off, he can shoot you out of a game. Billups, 37, returns to the Motor City but he’ll be more of mentor to Jennings.

5-MILWAUKEE BUCKS

To say that the Bucks are in a transition year is a huge understatement. General manager John Hammond cleaned house, removing the entire coaching staff and gutting out the roster. Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders, and John Henson are the only holdovers from the 2012-13 squad. To fill in the blanks, Hammond picked up O.J. Mayo, Zaza Pachulia, and Gary Neal, and brought back Carlos Delfino and Luke Ridnour. Brandon Jennings was shipped to Detroit in exchange for Brandon Knight. There are so many retreads in Milwaukee you’d think the city is selling stock for Goodwill. And the Bucks are likely not done tweaking the roster. Sanders and Henson are essentially the same player. They’re ultrathin forwards with limited offensive skills but tremendous shot-blockers. Hammond should be able to work out a deal for one (or both) in exchange for more offense, which the Bucks badly need.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

The Miami Heat need Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to find their shooting touch to avoid playoff elimination against the Indiana Pacers. (GETTY IMAGES)

Dwyane Wade is sick and tired of talking about his balky right knee, so bringing it up won’t ease his pain.

“I’ve been talking about it for two months. I ain’t got nothing else to say,” the nine-time All-Star guard said about the bone bruise that has grounded him for much of the season.

The Miami Heat are in a dogfight with the Indiana Pacers in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals mainly because Wade hasn’t been himself. The explosion is simply not there. His jump shot has failed him time and time again; he’s seen his floaters sent back in his face, and he has very little lift on his forays to the basket.

Wade has hit the 20-point mark only once this postseason. He’s shooting 44 percent (34-for-77) from the field and averaging 14.5 points against the Pacers. That’s well below his season (21.2) and career scoring averages (24.7).

The 31-year-old two-time NBA champion, who used to be known as the Flash for his lightning-quick moves, has been reduced to a mere mortal and may be starting to see hot flashes.

“Right now he’s giving us what he’s got,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Wade, who re-aggravated his ailing knee when he bumped knees with Jimmy Butler during the Heat-Bulls series.

“Physically we know what he’s going through right now,” Spoelstra said, “and for him to be out there competing and giving us what he’s got I have incredible respect for him as a professional athlete, especially now that the spotlight is on him.”

But Wade is not the only Heat star in a major slump.

Chris Bosh has been missing in action, too. His much anticipated battle with Pacers center Roy Hibbert has been a complete mismatch, with Bosh getting whipped like Chael Sonnen against Jon Jones in UFC 159. In his last three games, Bosh is 4-for-21 from the field and outscored by Hibbert 137-68.

“This is the part when you have to be mentally tough. Things haven’t been going my way this series. I want to play better, and I have to play better in Game 7. It’s as simple as that,” said Bosh, who scored a career playoff low five points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field in Game 6 in Indiana.

“We missed a lot of point-blank shots. We missed three layups by ourselves. I missed 18-footers,” Bosh continued. “It’s just a part of the game. We’re gonna have to find a way. It all comes down to one game. It’s great that it’s on our home court. As much as this sucks we just have to put it behind us and move on to Game 7. We have to make shots, we have to play better. There’s not much I can say. I’m just really disappointed in myself.”

So what can Wade and Bosh do differently to help the Heat from avoiding elimination? The answer falls on the shoulders of Spoelstra and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James.

“If anything it’s on me. I gotta find ways to get those guys comfortable in areas where they can be aggressive. And that’ll be my focus in the next 48 hours,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously they are a major part of what we do and I need to find ways and get them in places where they can be really aggressive. Now in Game 7s and games when your backs are against the wall, I know those two men’s characters and this is when they come up big in these moments.”

As for James, the ball will be in his hands for Game 7 so it is up to him to make sure Wade and Bosh get their touches and find them easy shots to get them going.

“They’re two great players. When they don’t shoot well or play well it is more on them,” James said. “Not taking any credit away from Indiana’s defense, but Dwyane and Chris has seen every defense that’s been applied to them in 10 years and they’ve been able to figure it out. This one is just taking a little bit longer.”

Expect Wade to be more aggressive in Game 7, as he’s known to rise to the occasion when the stakes are high. Wade has been doubted all his career, from the moment he got drafted to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 2006 playoffs. He has been picking his spots during these playoffs and all it takes in one brilliant game to erase a forgettable series. Sometimes all it takes is one jumper to fall for Wade to find his rhythm, but he has to be more aggressive. He needs more movement and activity.

The same goes for Bosh.

The best way to bust out of a slump is to keep shooting. Bosh can’t turn down open looks. The Pacers are daring him to shoot threes because they are banking on the fact he won’t make more than two a game. If Bosh makes more than two in Game 7, the Heat could roll to a comfortable victory.

“Chris is struggling with his shot and him hurting his ankle didn’t help him a lot as well. But I think he will find it,” James said. “It’s my job as a leader to keep him motivated to let him know how important he is to our movement to our chances of returning to The Finals.”

Miami Heat star LeBron James has been nothing short of superb in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. (GETTY IMAGES)

TNT analyst and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith believes LeBron James needed to be Superman four times for the Miami Heat to beat the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. LeBron has been more than Superman for the Heat. He has been Batman, Iron Man, and the Hulk rolled into one.

According to Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat are no longer all about the Big 3. They’re now solely dependent on the Great One. And that ONE is LeBron James.

His layup with 2.2 seconds left in Game 1 propelled the Heat to a 103-102 win, capping off a 30-10-10 triple-double performance. In Game 3, the four-time NBA MVP spooked the Pacers when he went to an almost exclusive post-up game and the Heat rolled to a blowout win. Then, in Game 5 with the series tied 2-2, James put on the cape once more and flew into another stratosphere.

After the Pacers took a four-point lead at halftime, James took it upon himself to alter the complexion of the game. The Heat needed a swift kick in the butt, and James provided the kicking as well as the screaming.

“I have a big voice in that locker room, I have a big voice on this team, and I sensed what was going on with our team in the first half,” James said. “Before we took the floor in the third quarter I gave them a little piece of my mind and a piece of my voice and we were able to respond.”

James may have been addressing his entire team, but his rant was mainly targeting two guys: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Instead of getting in the faces of his fellow All-Stars, James chose an indirect way to get his message across. Wade has been struggling with his balky knee, while Bosh was getting manhandled in the post by Roy Hibbert and David West. To scorn them publicly would have been disastrous and could scar the team for the rest of the playoffs and beyond. James voiced his displeasure to the whole group, to save Wade and Bosh from humiliation, and then took it upon himself to steady the ship.

The Pacers led 46-40 one minute into the third quarter, but that would be it for them. Over the next 11 minutes, the Heat outscored the Pacers 30-10, with James either scoring or accounting for 25 Miami points.

”That’s LeBron showing his greatness and making it look easy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ”What we talked about was doing whatever it takes and competing for each other without leaving anything out there. His engine in that third quarter was incredible. He was tireless, he was making plays on both ends of the court, rebounding, covering so much ground defensively and then making virtually every play for us offensively. It’s really remarkable.”

LeBron shot 7 for 10 in the third quarter; the Pacers shot 3 for 14. He had four rebounds in the quarter; the Pacers, as a team, grabbed six. He had four assists in the quarter; the Pacers had one.

“I kinda went back to my Cleveland days and just said we gotta make more plays and be more of a scoring threat as well,” James said. “We were in wait mode in the first half instead of going and get it. I took it upon myself to stop waiting and just go.”

Hall-of-Famer Reggie Miller joked during the telecast that the Heat had become the Cavaliers, with James as the centerpiece. The LeBron James one-man show in Cleveland has now moved to a new location in South Beach. Different cast of characters, but same act and same lead guy.

The Pacers have proven that they have the better team. For the Heat to win this series and advance to their third consecutive NBA Finals, LeBron James needs to dig deep and pull out another virtuoso performance.

Paul George has been one of the breakout star of the 2013 NBA playoffs. (GETTY IMAGES)

You know you’ve arrived as a legitimate superstar in the NBA when LeBron James gives you a dap in the heat of battle.

Paul George followed his 27-point performance in Game 1 with an even better all-around effort in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against defending champion Miami. His loudest play came with under 10 seconds left in the third quarter when the Indiana Pacers’ super swingman took the ball at the top of the circle, drove left past LeBron, and posterized Chris “Birdman” Andersen at the rim with a monster slam …. and one!

Not to be outdone by a visiting player in his own building, James came right back with a 3-pointer before the third-quarter buzzer sounded right in George’s face. Moments later, LeBron turned to George and gave him some love by slapping his hand. Not many guys can go head-to-head with the four-time NBA MVP and gain the upperhand.

“He’s really good. He’s gonna be a great one,” LeBron said of the Pacers’ 23-year-old All-Star. “His maturity and his game has definitely risen because of the opportunity [Indiana coach] Frank Vogel has given him. His teammates have a lot of confidence in him and he has confidence in himself.

“I love competition and I’m gonna be up for the challenge and try to be there for my team as well.”

The 2013 NBA playoffs has turned into a coming-out-party of sorts for George, who in the previous round gave Knicks star Carmelo Anthony fits with his stifling defense. Melo is probably still seeing No. 24 in his sleep for the way George got in his jersey during the East semifinals.

“I just can’t believe how much that kid keeps growing, and growing, and growing,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of George, who was named Most Improved Player of the Year.

“He’s a third-year player, his third year in the NBA, and going against the best player in the world in LeBron,” Vogel said. “He’s guarding him the entire night and carrying an offensive scoring, and just making confidence-building plays on the offensive end.

“He makes the extra pass, always, finishes at the rim, and he has given us a huge, huge lift.”

George and Roy Hibbert were huge in the Pacers’ 97-93 win over the Heat in Game 2. Hibbert had a game-high 29 points, while George had 22 points on 9-for-16 from the field and six assists in 38 minutes.

But George has done much more than just score in the first two games of the series. He has played point guard when George Hill and D.J. Augustin struggle with ball pressure, and he has taken on the monster task of defending LeBron for the majority of the game.

When TNT’s David Aldridge asked LeBron what’s the next step is for George to become an elite player, James said: “I know the answer to that but I’m not gonna say it right now while I’m competing against the guy. He might use it during our matchup right now. I’ll answer that after the series.”