In Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, George Hill was fouled with 4.7 seconds left in regulation with the Warriors leading his Cavs by one point. Cleveland almost breathed a small sigh of relief as their point guard is an exceptional free throw shooter, making 80 percent of his attempts in the playoffs. However, tonight he wasn’t able to deliver. He split the free throws to keep the game tied at 107-107. Although you would think this was embarrassing for Hill, his teammate would steal that spotlight in a matter of seconds.
J.R. Smith got the rebound in the paint but pulled the ball out all the way to half court as time expired despite his teammates’ pleas to go in the other direction. LeBron James was explicitly annoyed with the outcome, as his 51 point performance would be wasted with Golden State outscoring Cleveland by 10 to take Game 1.
In his own words: JR Smith on the final play of regulation. pic.twitter.com/UTmzwH5yo5
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 1, 2018
This brain fart is a massive blow to Cleveland’s chances in this series. A win in Golden State would have put them in a good position to try and pull off the upset, but this blunder allowed the Warriors to force overtime and eventually win the game. All he had to do was go up for a layup when he got the rebound, and the game could have been over.
This mistake is likely due to his unawareness. Although he said in his postgame interview that he knew the score was tied, this video depicts him saying, “I thought we were up.”
JR Smith
“I thought we were up”
Is this why the Cavs lost last night ? pic.twitter.com/snvwhPvRbl— The Lunch Table Blog Show LLC (@TLTBlogShow) June 1, 2018
Even head coach Tyronn Lue admitted J.R. didn’t know the score.
Ty Lue on JR Smith: "He thought it was over. He thought we were up one."
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 1, 2018
The Cavaliers will look to play smarter basketball for Game 2 as they re-enter Oracle Arena to try and steal a win on the road, and hopefully have better luck than last night.
Featured Image Via Wikimedia Commons
