J.R. Smith and LeBron James connected on a spectacular alley-oop Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks, as the Cleveland Cavaliers eventually woke up and took care of business 108-90.
It wasn’t LeBron’s only big finish, as he poured in a game-high 28 points, along with 10 rebounds and six dimes.
Smith went 7-of-9 from beyond the arc, and finished with 23 points in the road W.
Per the Akron Beacon Journal:
J.R. Smith made 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter, James scored 19 points over the game’s final 14 minutes and the Cavs finally shook free for a 108-90 victory against the reeling Milwaukee Bucks. […] The Bucks shot 61 percent in the first half and led by 11 in the third quarter before the Cavs finally snapped to life by scoring 10 straight points over the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. Smith’s final 3-pointer of his flurry stretched the lead to 93-78 with 6:18 left.
“It’s a terrible habit to fall into,” Smith said. “Sometimes you give a team confidence like that, especially a young team because they don’t know any better. Sometimes you try to turn that switch on and it don’t come on right away. Sometimes it don’t come on until the fourth quarter and you need it in the third.”
James served as a human alarm clock, turning up the emotional intensity and getting in guys’ faces in the third quarter, which ultimately was the game’s turning point. James had eight points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists in the third, when the Cavs pulled within 75-73 entering the fourth. They led by 12 within the first five minutes of the fourth, making it an 18-point swing within 8½ minutes. […] “I know when to press the button if need be and I gauged my guys on the right way to do that and tonight was one of those times I had to press the button,” James said. “They responded the right way.”
