Twitter had a field day after JR Smith's unbelievable blunder in the final seconds of Game 1
- The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors in heartbreaking fashion in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
- The loss came down to a mind-boggling decision from J.R. Smith, who seemed unaware of the score when he came down with a crucial offensive rebound with four seconds remaining.
- After the game, Twitter was quick to roast Smith for his poor play in the final seconds of regulation.
J.R. Smith did not have his best night on Thursday.
With Game 1 of the NBA Finals tied at 107 and just four seconds remaining, George Hill had one free throw to potentially give the Cavaliers the lead. He missed, but Smith gathered the offensive rebound with enough time on the clock to put another shot up or get the ball to a teammate. Instead, he dribbled the ball out, apparently unaware that the game was tied despite James' pleas at him to move towards the basket.
It was an unbelievable sequence of events that left fans either fuming or elated, depending on which side you were rooting for. It was also, inevitably, turned into content for Twitter.
Many grabbed onto James' reaction to Smith, a photo that could've become a meme on its own independent of the ridiculous context of the moment.
Others drew parallels between another bone-headed moment in the final seconds of a championship - the Seattle Seahawks decision to throw at the goal line against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.
There were also striking similarities between James and Smith's reaction and the distracted boyfriend meme.
Some chose to tie the moment to the ongoing rap feud between Drake and Pusha T.
And others took a moment to reflect on how relieved Hill must have been that his missed free throw was free from criticism thanks to Smith's awful decision.
One Twitter user had fun by making a video depicting Smith running straight to a liquor store.
It's undoubtedly a moment the internet will not soon forget.
The Cavaliers will look to put the game behind them and come back to even the series in Game 2 on Sunday.
More NBA Finals coverage:
- Tyronn Lue and the NBA world are baffled by the controversial foul change on LeBron James in Game 1 of the Finals
- J.R. Smith had a perplexing explanation for his end-of-game blunder that cost the Cavs in Game 1 of the Finals
Kevin Love appeared to violate a rule the NBA takes very seriously and it could cost him Game 2
- This photo of a very upset LeBron James sums up the brutal way the Cleveland Cavaliers blew the win in the final seconds
- A frustrated LeBron James cut his NBA Finals press conference off, told media to 'be better tomorrow,' after repeated questions about JR Smith's blunder