The NBA Finals kicked off last night, filled with a controversial call, a missed free throw and a confused J.R. Smith that costs the Cavs a possible 1-0 series lead over the defending champs. See below for a quick recap of it all:
LeBron James, as expected, put his team in a perfect position to win the game. He tallied 51 points, and 49 of them came in regulation.
“I just thought we were going to call a timeout,” said Smith. “If I thought we were ahead, I would have just held on to the ball so they foul me. Clearly that wasn’t the case.”
The image says it all. J. R. Smith clearly didn’t understand the situation of the game, despite his rhetoric during his post game interview. An infuriated LeBron James could only shortly express his frustration, followed by an eye-and-head roll, before refocusing to play the addition five minutes in overtime. To be honest though, Smith’s move was inexcusable.
George Hill, an 80% free throw shooter, missed his opp that would have put that Cavs up one. Hill’s unfortunate miss set the stage for Smith’s blunder.
“I thought we were ahead.” – JR Smith pic.twitter.com/OjCt4VMCEj
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) June 1, 2018
.@stephenasmith WENT IN on JR Smith. pic.twitter.com/KlZBZUQBhz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 1, 2018
Twitter let him have it, too. Unfortunately, this moment will be stored and played (annoyingly) in the mind of the the four-time MVP — FOREVA! *Cardi B voice*
Steph Curry finished with a team high of 29 points. The Warriors had five players score in double figures. Kevin Durant tallied 26 points, despite his poor shooting night. Golden State took advantage of Cleveland’s blunders and a blown call from the refs in regulation, which lead to a final 124-117 overtime victory.
Both teams were asked about Smith’s decision to dribble the clock out, despite the game being tied. Golden State players Draymond Green, Durant and Curry all seemed shocked by Smith’s lack of awareness.
Cleveland is 0-5 in Game 1s of the NBA Finals. LeBron and the crew have to shift their mindset to try and win the next game. Last night’s match has set the stage for another showdown on Sunday night, with Game 2 being played in the Bay as well.
Check out the best moments from Game 1, via ESPN:
