Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Lessons From ECFs Game 1
4. J.R. Smith Is An X-Factor
He’s a cancer, they said. He can’t help a winning team, they said. “You trying to get the pipe?” is his only claim to fame these days, THEY SAID.
LeBron James was the best player on the floor last night, but the fact that we even have to qualify that fact by stating it out loud is a testament to how awesome J.R. Smith was off the bench last night.
With Kevin Love still out, Kyrie Irving banged up and Iman Shumpert going 1-for-7 from the floor, Smith stepped up at the opportune moment, dropping 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting (including a franchise playoff record eight three-pointers on 10 attempts). As if that weren’t enough, he chipped in eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block as well.
J.R. Smith was the only Cavaliers bench player to score…and he STILL outscored Atlanta’s bench, 28-19. His heat check lasted the entire game and as we’ve seen numerous times this year, those prolonged hot streaks are capable of sinking opponents pretty quickly.
When the Cavs get THAT J.R. Smith on the floor, they’re a very difficult team to beat. Maybe not difficult enough to challenge a team like the Golden State Warriors (especially with how shorthanded Cleveland is right now), but they’re definitely good enough to down the Hawks.
If he can continue to produce at a consistent level without any of those bad J.R. Smith moments that cost his team, the Cavaliers will be going to the NBA Finals.
Atlanta, you trying to get the pipe?
Tryna Get the Pipe? pic.twitter.com/IFT4F8o8pV
— Carter Rodriguez (@Carter_Shade) May 21, 2015
Next: No. 3