LeBron James 'focused on the present' after awful game three
LeBron James said he has a short memory when it comes to the rest of the Eastern Conference finals.
LeBron James is focused on future and not the past after the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a disappointing defeat against the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics pulled the ultimate shocker over reigning NBA champions the Cavs when they rallied in game three for a 111-108 victory in the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday.
Cleveland were none too pleased, especially J.R. Smith, who said star team-mate James was not aggressive or confident enough during that game.
James was quick to shut down any residual feelings about his tepid performance as Cleveland practiced ahead of Tuesday's game four, with the Cavs leading 2-1 in the series.
"Past it," James said. "I'm focused on game four.
"We know what we did wrong in game three. We know ways we can get better. I'm focused on the present, not the past."
James finished with just 11 points and did not score at all in the final 16 minutes of the game as Boston pushed back from a 21-point deficit.
Since Boston were without Isaiah Thomas due to a hip injury, the Cavaliers should have been able to keep the mojo going and dispatch the Celtics with ease.
"He's got to be aggressive, get downhill, play like he's been playing, play confident," Smith said Monday after practice. "That's what I always think, [with] people of his stature or people like him, you've got to play confident the whole night and play aggressive.
"It's the Eastern Conference finals. It's not enough for him. For what he does, what he brings, it's not enough. He knows that. We know that. Just expect him to be better in game four."
According to James, watching game three was awful because he could see how their momentum changed in the second half.
"We had opportunities," James said. "It is what it is. They played a helluva game and they took it to us and we weren't able to stop the runs that they made, the momentum that they [built].
"Some of the plays that we made, some of the plays that I made, I was like, 'What are we doing?' or 'What could I have done better?' But you figure out the next game and go forward."