The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Smith’s mental error ruins James’ effort
One thing was proved with all certainty in Game 1 on May 31. The best two teams in the NBA are competing in the Finals, even though the one representing the Eastern Conference got there as a fourth seed.
It is no fluke the Cavaliers and Warriors are meeting for the fourth straight year, nor was it a fluke the game went to overtime before Golden State broke the game open to take the series opener, 124-114 in a game that was tooth and nail until the Warriors exploded with 17 points in overtime.
What was a fluke was a silly mental error by veteran J.R. Smith that played a critical role in the Cavaliers’ loss. Keep reading for the gory details.
Every time the Cavaliers made a run in regulation, the Warriors had an answer. And every time Golden State made a move, the Cavaliers had their own answers.
The stars from both teams did not disappoint.
A driving layup by LeBron James with 32 seconds to play gave the Cavs a 106-104 lead. They were his 48th and 49th points of the night.
Steph Curry, no surprise, answered with a driving layup. He was fouled on the play and gave the Warriors a 107106 lead with 23.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
George Hill hit his first of two free throws to tie the game with 4.7 seconds to play. He missed the second.
J.R. Smith grabbed the rebound and then, to the frustration of all his teammates, tried to run out the clock.
That’s right. When the Cavaliers look back on it, they will remember they lost the series opener because of a brain cramp. Smith thought the Cavaliers had the lead.
A team doesn’t get many second chances against great teams in the playoffs. There is no way to know how regulation would have ended if Smith was thinking clearly. And sure, the Cavs had as much chance in overtime as the Warriors did. But Golden State seized the moment and the Cavaliers did not.
And so, a 51-point effort by James, his highest ever in the playoffs, was wasted. We’ve seen that before. The difference is other Cavaliers did step up, at least in the first half.
The Cavaliers head to Game 2 on June 3 in Oakland knowing they could have won the series opener.
At one point in the second quarter the Cavaliers led, 51-40, on a turnaround jumper by Love, but the Warriors stormed back and tied the game, 56-56, on a 30-foot rainbow by Curry at the second-quarter buzzer. It was like the forecast of a storm to come.
The Warriors have thrived in the third quarter throughout the playoffs. As advertised, they outscored the Cavaliers, 10-3, in the first three minutes of the period.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue called a timeout, settled his team down, and led by James, the Cavaliers made a run of their own. They tied the score at 7070 on a jumper by James and then surged ahead on a 3-pointer by James, but the Warriors had their own response to take an 84-78 lead into the fourth quarter.
There was no way the Cavaliers would have a chance in Game 1 against the Warriors if James had to carry the load alone. Even the return of Kevin Love from a concussion wouldn’t be enough support for James.
James got the firsthalf help he needed, not only from Love (12 points and eight rebounds in the first half), but also Smith (seven points plus four rebounds) and Larry Nance Jr. (eight points and seven rebounds off the bench in nine minutes.
Smith and Love combined for four points after halftime. Love scored nine.
The meager output might have been enough to support James if Smith had been more alert.
Reach Schudel at JSchudel@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @jsproinsider