Larry Nance Jr. reflects on LeBron's dominance in Game 2 of the 2018 ECSF: "He's just showing them there's nothing you can do"

The Cleveland Cavaliers had no business going on an NBA Finals run in 2018, but it all happened because of one LeBron James. The King elevated his play in the postseason, carrying the team far beyond its margin for error.

For what it’s worth, Larry Nance, Jr. was there to see it all. Acquired by the Cavs in a multi-player deal before the deadline, Nance Jr. marveled at James’ superhuman efforts, particularly his 43-point masterpiece in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

LeBron was unstoppable

Cleveland barely survived the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, leading many to believe the Cavs were simply not up to the task of reaching the Finals three consecutive times.

That was a tumultuous season for them, and as mentioned, the team had to endure a massive overhaul in the middle of their campaign. There were too many moving pieces to work around, so it was up to LBJ to put on his Superman cape and get down to business.

After the Cavs pulled through despite the Pacers’ best efforts, the top-seeded Toronto Raptors were waiting for them next. Toronto had a fairly deep team, featuring All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, plus a nice mix of vets (Serge Ibaka, CJ Miles, and Jonas Valanciunas) and youngsters (Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet).

Nobody could have seen what was about to come. The Cavs stole Game 1, 113-112, but Game 2 completely took the wind out of the Raptors’ sails, thanks to LeBron’s otherworldly efforts.

“I remember sitting there on the bench having a very real moment of, ‘I’ll never see anything like this ever again. And there’s never been anything like that ever again, and there won’t be, really,” Nance Jr. said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

In addition to his 43 points, Bron added eight rebounds and 14 assists, against only one turnover. He hit one fadeaway after another, no matter who was in front of him. It was a total domination, but the way he did it stood out more to LNJ.

“It was showing the full maturation of his game and the touch at that point and understanding where doubles are coming from and everything,” Nance continued. “If I’m the Raptors, I’m so happy that he’s taking these. But he’s just showing them: ‘There’s nothing you can do.’ And, dude, it was awesome.”

The birth of LeBronto

Because of The Chosen One’s exploits, ESPN’s Mark Jones coined the term “LeBronto,” symbolizing his “ownership “of the Raptors. After all, the Cavs also brought the broom against the Raptors in 2017 and also eliminated them in the ECF in 2016.

James admitted that that season was him at his most perfect. He felt he could do everything on both ends, and for the most part, he truly did. Bron led the Cavaliers in five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks), the second time he achieved such a feat.

Although Cleveland failed to win the ultimate prize, LeBron’s domination of the Raptors eventually ended an era in Canada’s largest city. Toronto traded DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason for Kawhi Leonard, which resulted in a championship for “The Six.”

So, should the city thank James for the title then? Well, they might as well have. If not for LeBron closing the door on the Raptors year after year after year, Toronto may never have been forced to open another one.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Larry Nance Jr. reflects on LeBron’s dominance in Game 2 of the 2018 ECSF: “He’s just showing them there’s nothing you can do”

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