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LeBron James has had one of the best careers in the NBA. With 18 years of experience under his belt, the King has won four NBA titles, four NBA Finals MVP's, three NBA MVP's, 17 All-NBA selections and 17 All-Star selections. James is still going strong as he looks to contend for the NBA title again with the LA Lakers in his 19th season.
Over the course of his career, LeBron James has developed rivalries against a number of teams. Be it the Boston Celtics in his early days with the Cleveland Cavaliers or the San Antonio Spurs during his four-year stint with the Miami Heat, LeBron found a way to overcome those obstacles, if not square things off.
However, one such rivalry that LeBron James is yet to overcome is against the Golden State Warriors. Despite all his efforts and brilliance, LeBron has a 1-3 record against Golden State in the NBA Finals.
With his desperate efforts to overcome the dominance of the Warriors, here are the top six highest scoring performances by LeBron James against the Golden State Warriors.
6) 41 points: 13/06/2016
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving began the Cavaliers' epic comeback from being down 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Having lost the previous game at home 97-108, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving rallied the Cavaliers together in this epic comeback performance. The pair recorded 41 points each, for the game.
LeBron also recorded 16 rebounds and seven assists, with three steals and three blocks for the game. He shot an efficient 53.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
The win in Game 5 shifted the balance of the series as it brought the momentum back to the Cavaliers. More importantly, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the game at the Oracle Arena in fantastic fashion as they won 112-97.
5) LeBron James goes off for 41 points in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals: 16/06/2016
Following up on their performance and win in Game 5, the momentum of the series was shifting in the favor of the Cavaliers as the series returned to Cleveland. LeBron James took over once again in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Scoring another 41 points following his performance in Game 5, LeBron James also recorded a near triple-double in the process of securing a win for the Cavs and forcing Game 7. LeBron recorded eight rebounds and 11 assists for the game along with four steals and three blocks. He shot 59.3% from the field while shooting 50% from downtown.
LeBron led Cleveland's statsheet in the points and assists department as the Cavaliers took the series back to San Francisco, where in a wicked turn of events, the Warriors would face one of the biggest upsets in modern sports history.
4) 41 points: 12/06/2017
In the season following their success in winning the NBA championship, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Golden State Warriors again in the 2017 NBA Finals.
Now bolstered by offensive juggernaut Kevin Durant, the Warriors seemed stronger than ever heading into the Finals. It showed early in the series as the Warriors took a commanding 3-0 lead.
Although the Cavaliers managed to sneak a win in at home in Game Four, LeBron would have to rely on heroics to get the team through the Warriors.
LeBron James recorded another near triple-double with 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in this losing attempt, as the Cavs lost the Finals 4-1. LeBron also had two steals and one block while shooting 63.3% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
3) 42 points: 26/02/2015
In the season marking his return to the franchise, LeBron James immediately turned the Cleveland Cavaliers into title contenders.
In this winning effort against the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James went on to record 42 points for the game, the most he has scored against the Warriors in the regular season, while recording 11 rebounds and five assists along with it. He also had three steals and one block while shooting 60% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.
2) 44 points: 04/06/2015
Continuing his successful return to the Cavaliers, LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. Having had their first appearance with LeBron in 2006-07, where the Cavs were swept by the Spurs.
LeBron James had his highest scoring performance of the series in Game 1. He recorded 44 points, eight rebounds and six assists along while shooting 47.4% from the field and 25% from downtown.
LeBron and the Cavaliers came up short in their attempt to overcome the Warriors in Game One of the series. Although the game went to overtime, a costly injury sustained by Kyrie Irving would take its toll on the side. The Warriors would go on a three-game tear to win the NBA Finals in six games.
#1 LeBron James goes off for 51 points: 31/05/2018
LeBron James played perhaps the most inspiring basketball of his career in his last NBA Finals appearance with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Having carried the battered and bruised roster to the NBA Finals, LeBron continued his heroics in a desperate attempt to win another championship for Cleveland.
In the first game of the 2018 NBA Finals, LeBron James recorded 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the game. He shot 59.4% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc in this losing effort against the Warriors who were at the height of their powers.
The Cavaliers went on to be swept by the Warriors. LeBron James continued to put up ridiculous numbers as he averaged 34.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10 assists for the series.
