This one was a performance for the ages.

LeBron James pulled off a stunning triple-double as he led the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, 114-111, to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

The two-time champion and four-time league MVP recovered from a terrible shooting start and fought off all kinds of spasms and leg pains in the final quarter and the overtime period to finish with 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists for an historic performance.

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The Score's Joseph Casciaro reported that it was the first time that a player had tallied more than 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game since Charles Barkley did it in 1993.

The Cavs needed every single statistic that James provided as the Hawks fought tooth and nail in every minute of the game.

After the Hawks' All-Star point guard Jeff Teague buried a three-point shot from the right corner pocket to push Atlanta ahead by two, 111-109, with under a minute remaining, James answered back 20 seconds later with a three-pointer of his own this time from the left corner to grab back the lead, 112-111, time down to 36.4 seconds.

Teague then missed a layup shot from the other end, while James banked in a runner with 12.8 seconds left to seal the deal for Cleveland.

"He just wouldn't let us lose," Cavs coach David Blatt told reporters after game.

Playing without Kyrie Irving for the second straight game, James crumpled down to the floor as the buzzer sounded. His teammates even had to help him get up on his feet because of exhaustion.

"I play to exhaustion," James said in a post-game interview. "I give as much as I can give, and sometimes the body just shuts down."

He then admitted that he asked to be subbed out during overtime, but changed his mind to lead Cleveland during the crucial stretches of the extra period.

"I'm playing through a lot but it doesn't matter. If I'm putting on the uniform and I'm on the floor, I have to make things happen for our team. It's that simple," James added.

Game 4 will still be at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. E.T.

TagsNBA 2015, NBA Playoffs, NBA Playoffs 2015, NBA 2015 Playoffs, cleveland cavaliers, Lebron James