J.R. Smith's defense sparks Cavs' Game 3 rout over Warriors
CLEVELAND – All season J.R. Smith’s teammates have vouched for his defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Ty Lue has called him the team best’s perimeter defender, and LeBron James endorsed his defense after Wednesday’s Game 3 rout where Smith held Klay Thompson to 10 points, the second lowest total of the postseason.
But Smith has another vocal supporter, one who’s even closer to him than his coach or his megastar teammate.
It’s Chris Smith, J.R.’s brother. The two briefly played for the New York Knicks together during the 2013-2014 season.
Regardless of perception, Chris said that his older brother has always been about defense.
“Always,” he told Paste BN Sports after the Cavaliers dominated the Golden State Warriors in Game 3. “You wouldn’t know that unless you know him. A lot of people don’t. They misunderstood.”
James certainly knows what he has in Smith. Even after Smith broke out of a two-game shooting slump by pouring in 20 points, including 5-of-10 three-pointers, James was more vocal of his efforts in stopping Thompson.
“He’s a two-way player,” James said. “Defensively, all year long, that’s what he’s been doing. Offense comes very free to him, very easy. But the defensive side is what’s making him so great. The contribution we got from him for the scoring is all predicated on what he did defensively. … I think it all started on the defensive end. He was much better than he was offensively.”
Smith had scored eight total points coming into Game 3. His shot was off and he looked frustrated by the Warriors’ penchant for switching. But Wednesday he found his rhythm, increasing his tally to 56 three-pointers this postseason, which broke his own Cavs franchise record from last season. He would've had another had a halfcourt heave not come a split-second too late.
“Since we landed (in Cleveland) the other day, it was pretty much a clean slate,” Smith said. “Get back in the gym, get back to my routines, drive the same route I go to the gym every day.”
And lock in on defense. Smith contributed to a defensive effort that held the Warriors to 42% shooting, including 27% on three-pointers. Thompson and Steph Curry were 4-of-16 combined from deep on Wednesday night, not markedly different from what they’d shot in the Game 1, but hardly the havoc they'd caused in knocking down 8-of-16 in Game 2. But the fact that the Cavs had been blown out in both overshadowed any particular shortcoming.
“I know how I want to dictate the game, and that’s on the defensive end,” Smith said. “Try to stop Klay as much as I can, try not to let him catch the ball … and let that dictate my offense.”
Chris, clad in a “Believeland” shirt outside of the Cavs’ locker room, said he’s adopted Cleveland as his team.
“I love this team. If you’ve got LeBron playing well, and then you got J.R. playing well, and Kyrie gives you 30, I like my chances of winning.”
Even if big brother’s shot isn’t falling?
“I don’t think he ever struggles. If he’s playing good defense, it is what it is.”
Follow Michael Singer on Twitter @msinger.
Gallery: Best of the NBA Finals