With three of the four NBA conference semifinals decided by a sweep, all eyes were on the Celtics-Cavaliers series on Tuesday night, where the two elite clubs were set for battle in Cleveland to break a 2-2 series tie. At the time, the series was marred by a collection of blowouts and underachieving team performances. When one side looked dominant and poised to take a commanding lead, it would immediately falter in the next game. From a team basketball perspective, the series was pretty dreadful.

However, the matchup still brought all the intrigue and excitement as expected, thanks to monster performances by Cavs forward LeBron James (21 points in the first quarter of Game 3) and Boston guard Rajon Rondo (a 29-point, 18-rebound and 13-assist triple-double in Game 4). Hype was still present, and I knew that it was just a matter of time before two juggernauts began to play like two juggernauts.

With the series knotted, there was no way that the reigning MVP and the 2008 NBA Champions would allow the game to get out of hand in either direction. Neither team was accustomed to blowouts, and neither was known for throwing in the towel before the final buzzer sounded. As Game 5 — the crucial tiebreaker — rolled around Tuesday night, I was thinking the game would come down to the final possession. What did I get?

One of the worst performances of James’ career, leading to the worst home loss in Cleveland history by a score of 120-88.

Talk on Wednesday morning surrounded LeBron. James finished the game hitting just three of his 14 attempts from the field while turning the ball over three times along the way. Shaquille O’Neal — his 38-year-old center — outshined him despite running the floor like a wounded elephant. LeBron looked sluggish and apathetic, uncomfortable and uninvolved. His body language was foul, and Cavs fans ended the game by booing their 61-win team off the floor.

National pundits instantly began their speculation. Maybe this was his final statement to a team that failed to surround him with the necessary talent? Maybe his elbow was giving him fits? Maybe he’s just not a winner?

I will be the first to admit that James played far below his potential. It’s not that his numbers were particularly awful; they just weren’t up to the expected LeBron standards. He absolutely looked like a guy that felt entitled to taking a game off and one that just didn’t care. But do you know what he didn’t look like?

A guy that would let it happen again.

Now I’m not one to defend LeBron by any means. His ego rivals his 6-8, 250-pound frame, and he didn’t take a lot of responsibility for his play last night. In fact, he went as far as to say, “I spoil a lot of people with my play. When you have three bad games in seven years, it’s easy to point them out.” Good lord. There’s no denying that he believes he is “The Chosen One,” and NBA fans, including myself, have every right to hate him for it.

But if you think he’ll go 3-14 in Game 6 tonight, you are out of your mind. Regardless of how badly he wants to leave Cleveland, or how much his elbow does or doesn’t hurt, or even how much he desires to send a message to his underperforming teammates, James isn’t one to be made a fool. And the Boston Celtics did just that, causing him to look like a guy that didn’t belong in the playoffs.

And more power to them. Stopping the best player on the planet is not an easy task, and they managed to frustrate him for the entire game. Unfortunately for Celtics nation, Game 5 will, in my opinion, catalyze one of LeBron’s best playoff performances ever. I expect him to go off for no less than 30 points tonight while sending the series back to Cleveland for Game 7. Quitting is one way to send a message, but is there a better way to shut up your unappreciative fans and the hypercritical media than by dropping 45 the night after they verbally crucified you?

My friend echoed these statements yesterday morning by asking, “is it just me, or doesn’t it feel like there is a 25-percent chance that Friday morning they all will be talking about LeBron’s performance as one of the greatest in history?”

I know that we all love conspiracy theories, especially when they surround those that appear immortal. The guy had a bad game, and he deserves criticism for it. But to come on SportsCenter to discuss his mental fortitude and his future plans is just silly. The bottom line is, whether you love him or hate him, you’d want him on your team, and these types of performances are few and far between.

Maybe tonight he’ll prove me wrong and tank again. But for someone that averaged close to a triple-double over the course of an entire NBA season, the chances of that happening are fairly slim. Celtics fans may want to delay their celebration plans for another day, because I highly doubt that this series will end in six.

And if it does, than so be it. The Bulls or Knicks may soon have a lot more fans.

Zach Zimmerman runs the floor like a wounded Shaq. Find out how many bad games he’s had in the past seven years at zachz “at” stanford.edu.