Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
- The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 124-114, in an overtime thriller on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
- While the game was ultimately settled in overtime, JR Smith's mental error in the final seconds of regulation cost Cleveland a chance of stealing the game.
- After the game, Draymond Green called Smith out for his mistake.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-114 in an overtime thriller on Thursday night to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
While the game was ultimately decided in overtime, the turning point of the game happened in the final seconds of regulation.
With just seconds left on the clock, the Cavaliers had George Hill shooting free throws that could have won the game. After a miss on his second shot, JR Smith gathered the rebound and took the ball out, seemingly unaware that the score was still tied.
The Cavaliers would settle for a desperate shot that missed, and head to overtime, where they would fall to the Warriors.
After the game, Draymond Green served what felt like harsh words for Green, who was seemingly unaware of the situation at the time.
Cavaliers head coach agreed with Green's summation of the final seconds of regulation. "He thought it was over," Lue said post game. "He thought we were up one."
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Smith was mistaken. The game would go to overtime, where the Warriors would dominate for five minutes and ultimately earn a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
More NBA Playoffs coverage:
- JR Smith commits horrible blunder in final 4 seconds of Game 1 of the Finals by forgetting the score and dribbling out the clock with the game tied
- Tyronn Lue and the NBA world are baffled by the controversial foul change on LeBron James in Game 1 of the Finals
- LeBron James takes immaculate care of his body, and the NBA world is in awe of it
- The controversial Kyrie Irving trade is once again taking center stage as the Cavs prepare for another Finals showdown with the Warriors
- LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are gargantuan underdogs heading into the NBA Finals
- The biggest concern about the Rockets' radical strategy came back to haunt them at the worst possible time
Draymond Green: "You gotta know the score." And then wait until you see his face when he finds out J.R. Smith claimed he knew the score was tied. pic.twitter.com/WgDhgoK0NL
- The Athletic (@TheAthleticSF) June 1, 2018