Giving credit where credit is due -- LeBron with a masterful performance

I criticized LeBron James -- or at least laid out the facts as it why he's hated and why he has so much pressure on him --  in my last post. So I have to acknowledge his monstrous game against the Pacers last night. Analysts are calling it one of the all-time greatest performances in NBA history. James recorded 40 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two blocks in Miami's 101-93 win over the Pacers in Game 4 of their series Sunday. The win was very key for the Heat, because instead of being down 3-1, the series is now even and two of the final three games -- if the series goes seven -- are in Miami. Dwyane Wade also scored 30 points, coming up big after a dud of a performance Thursday. So, the pair combined for 70 of the Heat's 101 points (69 percent). The thing is, the Heat still only won by eight. So if James doesn't have an all-time great performance, Miami might not even come out of Indiana with a win. The Heat are still going to need to get more production from their role players going forward. Udonis Haslem was the only other Heat player to score in double figures with 14 points.

This is one of the reasons James frustrates me. He's capable of these kind of games --mind you, they can't always be this spectacular -- but the guy is able to just be an absolute beast on the floor and for him to disappear at critical times is inexcusable. It's like a waste of his talent. It will be very interesting to see what develops from here as the Heat try to win this series and then move on in the playoffs. Can LeBron keep responding to critics with huge games? Game 5 is Tuesday.

Also in the NBA playoffs, the Spurs, who have now won 18 straight games dating back to the regular season, swept the Clippers last night with a win. They now await the winner of the Lakers-Thunder series. The Lakers have had two excruciatingly close losses in their series (two and three points) and are on the brink of elimination tonight down 3-1 in the series. Kobe Bryant could certainly will Los Angeles to a win tonight, but it looks as if it is a matter of time before the Thunder close out the series.

Game 5 of an underrated series also plays out tonight. The Celtics and 76ers return to Boston with the series tied 2-2. After starting Game 4 down 12-0 and eventually falling behind by 18, the Sixers stormed back to win 92-83. They scored 61 points in the second half after mustering just 31 in the first half.