The Cleveland Cavaliers were not ahead when they got a rebound against the Golden State Warriors with 4.5 seconds to go.
Too bad JR Smith didn’t know that.
As time wound down in regulation in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals on Thursday, it was up to George Hill to give the Cavaliers a lead with two free throws and several seconds left in the game.
Hill only hit one of two, missing the second. Miraculously, Cleveland wound up with the rebound on the miss. The ball found its way to Smith, who held the ball near the far sideline without knowing the Cavaliers didn’t have the lead.
Time expired, forcing overtime.
Via Twitter:
JR Smith thought the Cavs were in the lead!! pic.twitter.com/5NkzVB5G80
— RealGM (@RealGM) June 1, 2018
LeBron's look says it all pic.twitter.com/oZjDyq3kZ9
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 1, 2018
Oh, JR.
“He thought we were up one,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said of Smith after the game. Smith was selling something different.
JR Smith: "I was trying to get enough to bring it out to get a shot off. 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."
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 1, 2018
