The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to get back to their winning ways after their disappointing 113-94 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers last night inside Quicken Loans Arena.
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Cleveland had a lot of glaring deficiencies in Thursday’s defeat, including their performance from the three-point line (9-24, 37.5%) – a place where the Cavs usually do well. One reason for Cleveland’s lack of production from beyond the arc could be the knee of their mercurial shooting guard, J.R. Smith.
After last night’s game, Smith, who finished with just three points (1-3 from the field), two rebounds, and one assist, sat in the Cavs’ locker room with ice packs wrapped around his left knee.
Smith spoke to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com after last night’s loss with regards to his knee:
“There’s nothing I can do about it right now because I don’t want to get an MRI.”
Smith, 31, told Vardon that he is indeed bothered by his knee at times, but he isn’t using it as an excuse.
Smith is currently averaging 8.1 points per game (second-lowest of his career). Furthermore, “Swish”, as he is known by most NBA fans, is shooting 30% from the field (career-low) and 32.7% from beyond the three-point line – numbers that seem odd for such a great marksman.
As of today, Smith is not listed on the Cavs’ injury report for their matchup against the Chicago Bulls inside The United Center. In a post-game press conference, Cavs Head Coach Tyronn Lue spoke about the health of the remainder of the team, saying:
“Save for Dunleavy (concussion protocol), everyone will be available to play against the Bulls.”
Smith missed three games last month due to an ankle injury. Let’s hope he doesn’t have to miss any more time.
