Warrior Wonder: JR Smith rips away LeBron James’ historic night

J.R. Smith is today’s Warrior Wonder.

As in, all the Warriors are Wondering how he took that rebound over SEVEN-FOOT MONSTER KEVIN DURANT before sprinting the other way and running the clock out.

Now, there were a lot of Cleveland Cavalier fans crying on timelines around the globe and saying why would J.R. do something that dumb?!

Really, bruh? The same J.R. that dapped up opposing player Jason Terry WHILE THE CAVS WERE ON DEFENSE?

Don’t blame J.R.’s pipe dreams, Cavaliers fans. Blame your GM and coaching staff for not coaching this proud young man up.

Regardless of the reason, this is an absolutely hilarious outcome for Warriors’ fans. After putting up a historic 51-point line on the night, LeBron James lost this game because of JR Smith. A guy who he advocated for, publicly going to bat for a new contract when it was hung up in negotiations “He’s a big piece of our team and they just need to get it done.”

The irony here is delicious. LeBron vacillates between sticking his fingers into all sorts of team building business and then pouting about the results and pretending as if he has no say in these matters. We always laugh and say that he doesn’t care because it’s not his money going to guys like Smith (who’s on a four-year, $57 million contract). Welp, this time there was a price LeBron paid.

Here’s his reaction right after the play. Watch the roller coaster of emotions, from outraged mom, to disappointed Dad, and then to resigned grandpa.

Beautiful.

(*kisses fingertips like an Italian Grandma)

Ok, jokes aside, there were a number of other Gold Blooded Warriors last night. There’s no real criteria for these things, so feel free to vote with your heart. Here are a few of the Warriors top performers from last night:

Steph Curry

For the Warriors, everything starts with Curry. He’s the one who drives the motion that is the impetus behind the Warriors slick, motion-heavy offense. Fighting in and out from between the defenders, Curry’s deep haymaker is the constant threat - probing defenses and looking for a quick jab before laying on the uppercut.

Oh, and don’t forget about his end of game heroics, from reclaiming the loose ball in the photo below, to an extremely critical And-1 layup to force overtime.

Klay Thompson

Just as the game was starting, everything stopped. With less than six minutes elapsed, Thompson got his leg awkwardly twisted after J.R. Smith caromed into his lower legs. Caught with one foot stuck to the floor, Thompson’s leg bent past any reasonable angle. It sent Klay, one of the toughest and most stoic of competitors, writhing on the floor in pain.

Thompson somehow managed to come back, and played 40 minutes after returning - finishing with 24 points, making five 3s.

We’ll be keeping an eye on how Thompson’s injury fares over the next two days, but hopefully he will be good to go on Sunday for Game two.

Draymond Green

13 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists on the night - plus the absorption of one basketball/fist combo to his face without a reaction. Green always comes up huge in the playoffs for the Warriors, and last night was no different.

He even hit a three last night, reminding people everywhere that miracles do indeed happen.

Kevin Durant

26 points, and nine rebounds, to go along with three blocks is enough to warrant consideration of the slim wonder’s contributions. Nate Parham hates the early ISO shots without any passing, but regardless of any micro-managing, Durant was one of the most critical players in the game.

Kevon Looney

Guys. GUYS... Kevon Looney started in the NBA Finals - and not because all of our other Centers were injured or anything! Over 24 mostly solid minutes, he snagged three offensive rebounds, went 4-for-5 from the field and gamely defended Lebron James.

Wow.