J.R. Smith hits ridiculous halftime buzzer-beater to set NBA playoff record
Everything is going right for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the moment. They trampled all over the Boston Celtics in the first half of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday night, and had a ton of fun doing it. Then, at the end of the half, J.R. Smith decided a 39-point halftime lead — one point shy of an NBA playoff record — wasn’t enough.
Smith chased down an offensive rebound after a Kevin Love miss, and, facing away from the hoop, twirled in mid-air and thew in an absurd shot that was, frankly, a fitting end to the first half:
"When it rains, it pours." – @ReggieMillerTNT#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/HU853l2Tus
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 20, 2017
The shot, which Smith just barely got off, made the score 72-31. The 41-point deficit is the biggest ever at halftime of an NBA playoff game. TNT play-by-play broadcast Marv Albert’s call of the play was great: “Love … not able to hit, so they won’t set an NBA — YES THEY WILL!”
