Written by Brian Windhorst at ESPN.com
LeBron James and Paul George have played each other in 20 playoff games and numerous high-stakes regular-season games but they topped them all with an historic double-overtime duel Sunday night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 135-130, with George and James assembling terrific statistics with the added spice that they both guarded each other for much of the game. James had his 11th triple double of the season with 41 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists and just one turnover in 52 minutes. George scored 43 points with nine rebounds and nine assists plus three steals, two of which came when he stole the ball from James on inbounds plays late in the game.
It was the seventh time in James’ career he and an opponent scored more than 40 points in the same game, the last time coming when both he and Carmelo Anthony scored 43 points against each other on Feb. 18, 2010.
“It was fun, I know his game and he knows mine,” George said. “It’s always fun competing against LeBron, he’s always going to get the best of out me every time we play. It’s a good matchup, it’s good for the NBA.”
It was unusual for James to be assigned to George defensively from the start as the Cavs typically try to save his energy and don’t put him on the opposition’s top wing scorer until late in the game. George, as is his custom, guarded James for the entire game.
“When he opened the game on me I knew how much that game meant for him and them fighting to get to the first seed,” George said. “I knew it was going to be a battle.”
It was the fourth 40-point triple double of James’ career and the second-most points he has scored this season. He was the only Cavs player to score over the last 10 minutes of regulation, which is part of the reason his team blew a 14-point lead in that span.
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