The Golden State Warriors took the opening game of the NBA Finals from the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 124-to-114, but it’s the final play of regulation that’s getting all of the attention.
After the Cavs’ George Hill tied the game with a free throw, he missed the second shot and the rebound came to Cleveland’s J.R. Smith with 4.7 seconds left on the clock. Instead of putting up another shot to win the game, Smith dribbled the ball out of the paint and appeared to be running out the clock as if his team had the lead. His teammate, LeBron James, shouted at him to pass it off for a last second shot, but it was too late.
Although it appeared that Smith clearly thought his team had the lead, he told reporters that wasn’t the case. He explained, “I knew we were tied, it’s just that I thought we were going to call timeout because I got the rebound. I’m pretty sure everyone didn’t think I was going to shoot it over [Kevin Durant] right there.” (ESPN)
Talk About It:
- If he really thought it was tied, he could have called timeout immediately.
- It very much looked like he was running out the clock. His explanation is hard to believe.
- How come no one is talking about George Hill missing the second free throw? It would have given the Cavs a 108-107 lead.
Source: CS / CS
