LeBron sums up his Game 3 performance: 'I didn't have it'

As his Cleveland Cavaliers watched what was once a 21-point lead evaporate in a shocking Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, LeBron James struggled through an equally stunning scoreless second half. But James didn't think his first half was much better.

"I had a tough game, period. Not just in the second half," James said after an 11-point, six-rebound, six-assist performance that included six turnovers and an ugly 4-of-13 shooting line.

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"Me, personally, I didn't have it. My teammates did a great job of keeping us in the game and building that lead, but me, personally, I didn't have it. That's all I've got to say about my performance."

The rare instances when James fails to live up to expectations are always jarring, but in a postseason in which he was averaging 34.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks on an effective field goal percentage 63.4 for an undefeated Cavs team - perhaps his finest playoff performance to date - Sunday's letdown was particularly puzzling.

In any event, James and the Cavs will have another opportunity to take a stranglehold of the Eastern Conference finals when they again host the Isaiah Thomas-less Celtics on Tuesday.