BOSTON — Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith struggled to hit outside shots in the first two games of his team’s first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
That all changed in Cleveland’s 103-95 Game 3 win Thursday night at TD Garden.
Smith scored 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting, including a few clutch shots in the second half as the Cavs held off the tenacious Celtics. He was particularly effective in the third quarter, when he was 3 for 4 from the field and made two 3-point shots to help give Cleveland an eight-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
“After I hit my first one, my confidence started building,” Smith said. “I hit two off the dribble, and then I hit one off a catch-and-shoot in the corner and it kind of rimmed in a little bit, so I just had to stay with it.”
Smith’s preparation for Game 3 started early Thursday morning, when he and LeBron James arrived at TD Garden an hour before the rest of their teammates hit the court for the shootaround. The extra reps paid off.
“We were together (Wednesday) night watching the playoff games and J.R. said he was going over early and I said, ‘I’m going with you,'” James said.
“He had been in a little funk for him, and for a lot of other people they would love to be in the shooting vicinity with him. But for him to come out (Thursday) and give three big 3’s, five boards and his defensive activity was tremendous … I think the way he approached (Thursday) morning tricked all the way to (Thursday night).”
The Cavs were able to overcome Smith’s 6-for-21 shooting overall and 3-for-15 from beyond the arc in Games 1 and 2. When he’s in a rhythm, few players can score more points in a short span.
The Cavaliers also have players, most notably Kyrie Irving and James, who are able to penetrate defenses and find guys like Smith on the perimeter. That happened often in Game 3 and likely will happen many more times before Cleveland’s playoff run concludes.
— Irving scored 56 points in the first two games combined, but he wasn’t able to provide anywhere near the same production in Game 3. He was 0-for-2 from field with just three points with 7:02 remaining in the third quarter and finished with 13 points for the game.
“My acceleration definitely wasn’t there today,” Irving said. “For me, it was just about affecting the game any way I could, whether I was on Isaiah (Thomas) or Avery (Bradley), just trying to chase these guys. LeBron and Kevin (Love) had it going, so when I see that happening, my job is to do whatever it takes to win.”
— Rebounding is huge in playoff games, and Tristan Thompson has been one of Cleveland’s most important players because of his work on the boards. He’s pulled down 24 rebounds in the three games, 14 of which came on the offensive glass.
“That’s what he does, from the regular season and into the playoffs,” Irving said. “He’s been unbelievably huge, especially down the stretch. He’s going to continue to go in there every single play until you stop him.”
The Cavaliers scored 13 second-chance points, many made possible by Thompson’s work on the offensive glass, including Love’s 3-point shot in the final minute of the fourth quarter that sealed the win for Cleveland.
“In the postseason, I always harp on how important every possession is,” James said. “And if you’re able to get extra possessions in the postseason, it’s even more. It’s demoralizing for the opponent when someone is wrestling with two or three guys and he’s still able to come up with the rebound. … It’s huge to have a guy like Tristan.”
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
