LeBron James finally got the help he needed in Game 7

LeBron James cramped up and went to the locker room with a minute left in the third quarter of Game 7, and the immediate thought was imminent doom for the Cavs and their odds at staying afloat with The King off the floor. But with James in the locker room and eventually watching from the sidelines, the Cavaliers got the boost they needed all series long.

When LeBron exited at the 1:00 mark of the third quarter, the Cavaliers led, 75-73. When he returned with 8:25 left in the fourth, Cleveland had an eight-point cushion and once even led by 10. They held that lead and won Game 7 to move on to the second round, 105-98.

That’s because George Hill, whose back spasms sidelined him for Games 4, 5 and 6 and the first half of Game 7, was the embodiment of a floor general with LeBron off the floor. And that’s because Tristan Thompson was the spark the Cavs have needed since Game 1.

“How do we split the game ball between Tristan and G-Hill?” LeBron asked after the game.

LeBron said it early into the second quarter. He was going to play the entire game if it meant giving the Cavaliers the best chance at advancing to the second round. His first half was incredible: 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting in all 24 minutes of the first two quarters.

But James looked gasses midway through the third quarter, and eventually, he started to cramp up. How could he not? He averaged 41 minutes per game in this first-round series and only played fewer than 40 minutes in Game 6, a blowout loss.

LeBron has been a superhero all series long. He averaged 34 points, 10 rebounds and 7.7 assists through the first six games, leading the Cavs in all major statistical areas. In Game 7, he played almost every minute and finished with 45 points on 16-of-25 shooting.

The reason this has been a seven-game series and not a four- or five-game ending? The Pacers have refused to quit, but James just hasn’t gotten much help from his teammates.

Tyronn Lue inserted Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup. He gave the Cavs a jolt of energy and put up 15 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. J.R. Smith gave his team 11 points, albeit on 3-of-11 shooting. But few others had much to show for their minutes on the court.

Then George Hill entered and changed the dynamic of the game. Lue started LeBron at point guard, and he was tasked with virtually making every offensive decision. With Hill on the floor, a second playmaker and creator was put on the floor. It was what Cleveland had missed all along, and when LeBron was off the court, Hill came alive.

Hill only shot 1-of-3 from the floor, but his aggression led to 9-of-11 shooting from the foul line. He also revitalized Kevin Love by putting him in the pick-and-roll in almost every possession.

Hill only had nine points, but the Cavaliers outscored the Pacers by six while he was one the floor. LeBron, somehow, was a minus-1 in his 43 minutes.

There’s no telling if this will work in the second round against a tough opponent in the No. 1 seed playoff Raptors. But for now, the Cavaliers live to fight another day. That’s because the little bit of help LeBron James needed finally showed its face when he needed it most.