It’s been about 48 hours since the city of Cleveland and Cavs fans worldwide became sick to their stomachs watching JR Smith run around with a rebound that could have won the game for the Cavs in Game One of the NBA Finals in Oakland.
As many times as Cavs fans have watched the play, there’s still no good explanation for as to why Smith didn’t shoot the rebound off the George Hill miss, or call timeout or pass the ball out for a possible game winning shot.
Smith after the crushing overtime loss first said he knew the game was tied, even though you clearly could see him say otherwise to LeBron James as the two traded words about half court as regulation ended.
Even coach Ty Lue said in his postgame presser that Smith just wasn’t aware of the score at the time of the historic mistake.
Now with game two looming, Smith is going back on his earlier words, saying that he wasn’t sure what exactly was going on when he snatched a rebound off the missed Hill free throw.
“After thinking about it a lot after the last 24 hours and however long it’s been since the game was over, I can’t say I was sure of anything at that point,” Smith said.
The news of Smith going back on his earlier comments doesn’t do much to make Cavs fans any less forgiving, but at least know they know that Smith really didn’t seem to know what was happening at the time the ball floated in his hands after the miss.
Smith Saturday was asked if he remembered telling James, “I thought we were ahead,” after the clock hit zero, a statement replay seemed to have caught him saying clear as day.
“I might have said that,” Smith said. “I’m not for sure, but I might have.”
Nothing from Thursday is going to matter as the Cavs and Warriors take the court for game two at 8pm EST on Sunday evening in Oakland.
The Cavs hung in and had a great showing in the first game of what they hope will land them a second title on Thursday, and they seem to feel they can put the huge blunder at the end of game one behind them.
Can Smith?
“That’s pretty much who I’ve been my whole life. I’ve always been the one guy who is the butt of the jokes or the one guy who does something crazy and everybody has got to look at or whatever the case may be. And then I just come back and be myself and play the next day,” Smith said.
“I don’t really dwell on things too much. I’ve been like that my whole life, and that’s what it looks like it’s going to continue to be. So I just got to go out there and be me.
“I told somebody right after the game that I’m glad it happened to me, as opposed to anybody else on my team. To be in that situation is tough, and it’s not a situation that everybody can handle. So I’m glad it happened to me.”
He’ll have a chance to make it up to an entire city and fan base if he can have a big game two and help get the series back to Cleveland evened up at one game apiece.
Otherwise, it might very well be a miscue he will never live down.
Recent Comments