LeBron James accused the Nets yesterday of attempting to injure Serbian forward Sasha Pavlovic during the two games at the Meadowlands - and gave a veiled threat it better stop.
James said that's why he erupted in the third quarter of Game 4 with 8:47 left when Mikki Moore threw down Pavlovic, soaring for a layup. Pavlovic got up and went at Moore, who was tagged with a flagrant foul.
The broad-shouldered James intervened, got in Moore's face and scolded him. The Nets led by five points before James went on a scoring spree as the Cavs regained the lead.
"In Game 3 there were some shots they took at Sasha," James said. "I guess the intent is to go at Sasha in a harmful manner in Game 3. I didn't notice it until I watched film the next day. They tried to do the same thing in Game 4. It really ticked me off they were trying to do something like that to Sasha. They tried to hurt him. I had to stick up for my teammate. I didn't like it at all."