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This time LeBron James couldn’t get criticized for missing the last shot or passing the ball in the final seconds. It wasn’t possible Sunday night since the Miami Heat forward had the same amount of control on the outcome as a Boston Celtics fan in the rafters of section 312 at TD Banknorth Garden.
A stoic James stood with his arms folded at the end of overtime in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals after fouling out for the first time since 2008. With no James and Chris Bosh unavailable due to injury, it was back to Dwyane Wade’s old Heat days as he had the ball in his hands with the Celtics ahead 93-91 as the clocked ticked down. James helplessly watched from the other side of the floor as Wade’s game-winning 3-point attempt didn’t save the day and the Celtics tied the series 2-2.
“I don’t foul out,” James said after scoring a game-high 29 points. “If I’m going to foul out, that sixth foul, I wish I would have earned it [and it] had actually been a foul on me. Whatever.”
James received his sixth foul, an offensive one, in the post with 1:51 left in OT after getting tangled up and going to the ground with Mickael Pietrus. The Celtic defender got veteran referee Joey Crawford to bite on the thespian act. James had four offensive fouls Sunday and the deciding whistle happened with Boston ahead 92-91. Celtics fans roared at a fever pitch as James strolled to the bench.
— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports
