CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James has made an impressive career out of his ability to drive to the basket and finishing at the rim despite absorbing plenty of contact from defenders on his way to the hoop.
In Sunday’s 110-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena, James drove to the hoop on plenty of occasions, but drew only three fouls. And after getting poked in the eye on a drive that went uncalled, James let officials know his frustration, which resulted in his being whistled for a technical foul midway through the fourth quarter.
James further elaborated following the Cavaliers’ second consecutive home loss.
“I think we’re at a point now where we protect the shooter more than the driver,” James said following the loss.
“I mean there’s no reason I should be going to the line four times in a game when I drive a hundred times to the paint and I’m getting hit, and slapped, and grabbed, and whatever and whatnot. We project the shooter and that’s what it’s turned into. Chicks dig the long ball, and that’s what it’s about.”
The Cavaliers held advantages in shots from the field (91 to 86) and three-point tries (34 to 19), but the one major difference came at the free-throw line.
The discrepancy in fouls led to the Spurs getting 32 free-throw attempts. Conversely, the Cavaliers shot only 14 times from the free-throw line. The Spurs made 25 free throws, 15 more than the Cavaliers, and nearly doubled the amount of attempts Cleveland had in the game.
The Cavaliers were called for 24 personal fouls and the technical on James, while the Spurs had just 12 calls and one defensive three-second technical whistled against them.
“I think the momentum kind of hurt us when they got away with an offensive foul pushing it back on me,” James said. “At the end of the third quarter, Danny Green hits a three, I come down and I turn the ball over and (Bryn) Forbes hits a shot to put them up two going into the fourth.
“It’s a five-point swing, us having a three-point lead, but we’re still down two and just couldn’t get a bucket to start the fourth. We turned the ball over a couple times, and that’s when momentum switched.”
