With Thursday’s game tied at 107 with 4.7 seconds left, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith sent the game into overtime when he dribbled out the game clock off an offensive rebound instead of putting up a potentially game-winning shot.
Cavaliers’ George Hill missed his second of two free throws to end regulation when Smith rebounded the ball.
Smith’s decision prompted a fiery reaction from teammate LeBron James and caused other Cavaliers on the floor to throw their hands up.James abruptly left his own press conference after the game when asked about Smith’s regulation-ending decision.
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue confirmed at his press conference Smith thought the game was tied when he ran out the clock, but ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Smith said he knew the score when he dribbled the ball outside the arc.
“I was trying to get enough to bring it out to get a shot off,” Smith said, according to Windhorst. I knew we were tied, I thought we were going to call timeout. If I thought we were ahead, I'd have held onto the ball and let them foul me."
In overtime, the Warriors scored nine-straight points to start the period and went on to win, 124-114.
The Warriors take a 1-0 series lead with Thursday’s Game 1 win and will host the Cavaliers once again for Game 2 Sunday at 8 p.m. at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
The game can be watched on Channel 2 Action News WSB.
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