LeBron James responded to MVP snub with one of the greatest first halves ever

Just an hour after LeBron James was left out of the top 3 in NBA MVP voting, and only moments after rookie Jaylen Brown said he had no fear whatsoever of the unofficial greatest living basketball player, the All-Star forward uncorked one of the most dominant first halves of basketball we’ve seen this season.

Just two quarters into the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals, James has left his mark, pummeling the Celtics into an oblivion to give the Cavaliers a commanding 72-31 lead at the half. He was the driving force behind what’s become the largest postseason halftime lead in NBA history.

The King himself scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, dominating Boston as the Cavaliers employed their own death lineup. Cleveland surrounded James with four shooters much of the first half, and the team responded by outscoring Boston 18-4 in the opening 5:30 of the second quarter.

James finished the first half with six assists, finding shooters like Kevin Love, Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith early and often. And when he wasn’t looking to pass, he used his sheer size, speed and strength to bully whichever defender stood between he and the rim.

Forget MVP voting. That’s a regular season award, and the three guys that beat James — Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard — aren’t competing at the same level the Cavaliers are.

James has proven time and time again he’s the best player in the world. Now, he’s on pace to make his seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance, this time beating down a Boston team that finished with the East’s No. 1 seed.

Now, with this public embarrassment of a tired Celtics team, it seems James is on his way to challenging for that coveted championship ring. And trailing 41 points at the half, it doesn’t seem Boston’s going to stop them from doing it.