Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James reacts to a call during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cavaliers in Oakland. Photo / AP
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James reacts to a call during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cavaliers in Oakland. Photo / AP
Heartbreak, ridiculousness, defeat — Game 1 of the NBA Finals had everything.
LeBron James delivered 51 points and it still wasn't enough for the Cavaliers to steal a series-opening win.
Instead, James' heroics were buried beneath an avalanche of criticism directed towards Cavs star JR Smith over his unforgivable brainsnap in the final seconds of regulation time.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts to a call during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cavaliers in Oakland. Photo / AP
Smith's failure to put a shot up after grabbing an offensive rebound with scores tied and 4.7 seconds left on the clock almost certainly cost his team victory.
The Cavs were despondent after failing to close out the game in regulation time. They were buried 17-7 in over time.
NBA commentators have already declared the heartbreak will be too much for the Cavs to overcome in a series they were already considered long-shots.
Smith lie exposed while explaining brain snap
If you ever want to see an athlete flat out lie...watch this @cavs#JRSmith interview! Because on the court you could clearly see him tell Lebron “I thought we were up.” Which is then repeated by his Coach Ty Lue after the game in his post game interview. #NBAFINALSpic.twitter.com/U5y7rBNBN5
Minutes after Cavs mentor Tyronn Lue said Smith told him that he believed Cleveland was in front with four seconds to play, Smith said he knew the scores were tied — despite his failure not to attack the bucket with the game on the line.
Oh no… JR doesn’t know that Ty Lue already told the media he didn’t know the score. https://t.co/oCXOO31wWo
With the scores tied at 107-107, Smith grabbed a mammoth offensive rebound, but chose to dribble back out to the three-point instead of putting up a shot within the paint.
He said after the game he expected his team to call a time out.
"I was trying to get enough to bring it out to get a shot off," Smith said.
"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."
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."
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he could understand Smith's failure to get a shot away.
"Who knows if JR would have made the lay-up anyway," Lue said.
"It was tough. He could have had a little floater. Somebody was there. You think about calling a time out and then LeBron was open for a second and it all happened so fast."
Tyronn Lue on JR Smith: “Who knows if JR would've made the layup anyway.”
NBA stars, commentators gun JR Smith over unforgivable blunder
NBA champion Chauncey Billups labelled JR Smith's brain snap "negligence" — declaring the star shooter cost Cleveland the game.
NBA commentators, including Boston legend Paul Pierce, have declared the series is already over for the Cavs. He said there is no way back for the Eastern Conference champions after Smith's rebound balls up.
NBA players, including Sixers All Star Joel Embiid, were not forgiving about Smith's brain snap.
Draymond Green with an absolutely priceless reaction when told JR Smith told reporters he knew game was tied..... wait for it... 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/HRjxiwGOtn
Writing for SB Nation, Matt Ellentuck said the Cavs would regret choking because it would cost them any chance of winning the series.
"The Cleveland Cavaliers choked away a game that was never supposed to be theirs, on the road against arguably the greatest team of all time, and they have to feel awful," Ellentuck wrote.
"Cleveland had to play an overtime it never should've been in, and floundered.
