After dropping the first two games of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to bounce back with a Game 3 win in front of their home crowd.
In Game 1, the Cavs allowed 56 points in the paint, turned the ball over 20 times, and recorded zero steals as a team. In Game 2, the champs played better on the defensive end of the floor (15 steals), but fell in a high-scoring affair, 132-113.
So, what adjustments will Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue make for Game 3? Some basketball analysts were calling for the benching of J.R. Smith after his production of three points through the first two games of the Finals. In fact, there were some who thought Iman Shumpert should get the starting nod. However, according to Joe Vardon of cleveland.com and Tom Withers of The Associated Press, coach Lue is sticking to his guns.
“Swish” spoke to reporters during this afternoon’s media availability with regards to coach Lue’s decision. When asked if he had thoughts of coming off of the bench for his team, Smith says he “just wants to win.”
“It’s all about winning,” Smith said. “Whether if Shump starts and we win — I’ll keep coming off the bench. If we win when I’m in there, then we’ll keep it the same. I don’t look at it as a personal vendetta or anything like that. I just want to win, so it doesn’t matter.”
#Cavs not planning any lineup changes for Game 3. J.R. said he's cool with it either way. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/EF70pMJUvA
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) June 6, 2017
Game 3 is set to tip on Wednesday, June 7th, at 9:00 p.m. inside Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs will need Swish, a deadly marksman at range, to engage.
