JR’s struggles compounding Cavs’ problems
Smith’s scoring rut a big reason why Cleveland is trailing NBA Finals 0-2
OAKLAND, California — JR Smith turned from villain to Warriors’ fan favorite thanks to his memorable mistake.
Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Smith was a nonfactor in Game 2 on Sunday after his late-game blunder in the opening game of the NBA Finals.
After he inexplicably dribbled out the clock at the end of regulation in a tied game, Smith was again a liability on a night when LeBron James needed all the help he could get to keep up with Stephen Curry and the Warriors.
Smith made just 2 of 9 shots and didn’t make a single basket after the first quarter as the Cavs fell into an 0-2 series hole after a 122-103 trouncing.
“Terrible,” Smith said of his performance. “I have to shoot the ball better. I have to defend better.”
The game started with Smith getting loud cheers from the Warriors fans, who booed him mercilessly in Game 1 after he slipped and fell into Klay Thompson’s leg, sending the Warriors guard to the locker room briefly with an injury.
That sarcastic support continued all game long, with Smith getting serenaded with chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” on trips to the foul line.
“I’m always a person the fans like to talk to and heckle,” Smith said. “I’d rather they do that than not acknowledge me at all. I appreciate that.”
Smith was a prominent figure in Game 1 for all the wrong reasons.
He grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw by George Hill in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied, then dribbled toward midcourt as if he was running out the clock and thinking Cleveland had the lead.
The Cavs didn’t get off a shot and lost in overtime.
James and coach Tyronn Lue raved about Smith’s ability to bounce back from tough moments, but that didn’t happen on Sunday.
“Not too much affects JR. I don’t think so,” Lue said. “He made shots. He had some good looks he didn’t make, but throughout the course of the game I don’t he think he really got shots in a row to kind of get into a rhythm.
”That was kind of tough on him. But we have confidence in JR, and he’s just got to continue taking his shots.”
The Cavs will need much more from Smith when the series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Wednesday night if they are going to match their comeback from an 0-2 deficit that they accomplished in beating the Warriors for the title two years ago and in the Eastern Conference final last month against Boston.
James was his typical brilliant self but was unable to match the 51-point scoring he had in the opener as the Warriors made a stronger effort to pick him up quicker to make him work for everything.
James, who played with a bloodshot left eye after getting poked by Draymond Green in Game 1, finished with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. He made 10 of 20 shots from the field but was not nearly as efficient as he was in the series opener.
The Cavs again failed to take advantage of good looks from 3-point range that are bound to come with all the attention Golden State pays to James.
Cleveland shot just 9 for 27 from long range and is at 35 percent for the series, a number that will need to improve if the Cavs hope to reverse their fortunes.
Curry dazzles
Meanwhile, Curry dazzled in outdueling James as the two superstars traded big shots and celebratory moves.
Curry drained a Finalsrecord nine 3s and finished with 33 points in Game 2.
“It’s hard to think back to all the games, but he was tremendous — nine 3s and seemed to hit a big shot every time we needed one,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He was fantastic.”
Kevin Durant found his steady stroke to score 26 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists while also handling a load of the defensive assignment against James.
Thompson added 20 points playing on a tender left leg to put the defending champions two wins from a repeat title.