J.R. Smith was a split-second from burying the shot of the Finals
The struggles of Cleveland Cavaliers shooter J.R. Smith served as one of the biggest stories of the first two games of the NBA Finals. After performing very well throughout the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Smith shot 3-of-9 from the field for all of eight points in the Cavs’ series-opening losses against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. It figured that he would have to step up for Cleveland to bounce back at home in Game 3 and make it a series.
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Smith was measurably better in the first half on Wednesday night, shooting 3-of-8 from the field for eight points. However, his biggest moment came right before the break, when he appeared to bury a half-court heave at the buzzer to send the Cavaliers into the locker room with an 11-point lead. Take a look:
The shot was immediately waved off by referees, and replays showed that it was the correct call. Still, it was hard to shake the shot from memory.
Alas, it did not count. At least J.R. will have a good story to tell on his new reality show.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
