Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard JR Smith.
JR Smith may not be in the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation right now but he was able to sneak into Game 1 of the NBA Finals due to the fact the game was out of reach. In his one minute of playtime, he didn’t score any points but he did pick up a foul. Despite the win, Smith took to Twitter to call out the referee for the foul.
Great Team Win! Great call Mark at then end! By far one of the most meaningless calls ever! But good one 🤣
By “Mark,” it would appear Smith is talking about Marc Davis, who has been an NBA referee for 22 seasons now. The Lakers veteran isn’t wrong. It probably was a meaningless call. However, a referee still has to do his job, even if the game is over. Smith should be trying to avoid those kinds of situations.
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Lakers Started Game 1 Poorly
While the final score for the Lakers’ Game 1 matchup against the Miami Heat shows that it was a blowout, it wasn’t always that way. Los Angeles got punched in the mouth early were down by 13 points just a few minutes into the game.
“I don’t think in the beginning that we were physical enough,” LeBron James said. “You have to get a feel for how hard Miami plays. I think they smacked us in the mouth, and we got a sense of that. And so we knew how hard we had to play if we wanted to try to make it a game. You know, from that moment when it was 23-10, we started to play to our capabilities.”
The Heat’s lead was shortlived as the Lakers were able to take the lead before the first quarter even ended.
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Anthony Davis: ‘Job Is Not Done’
The Lakers completely dominated the Heat and the game wasn’t really close. It’s the kind of big win that could lead to a quick sweep. However, the team isn’t content with just the one win.
“First time I’m experiencing this,” Anthony Davis said. “Obviously want to come out and play well and you want to come out and win. I’ve always put pressure on myself. I had the same thing [during] Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, as well. When the ball gets tipped up, all that goes away and it’s just basketball, but everything leading up to it, you’re very excited.
“Your adrenaline is going early because you’re so excited just to be here and get ready to go out there and play. It went away early, but it was a great experience for me, great Game 1. Job is not done. We have three more.”
If this Lakers team still thinks it can play better after dominating Miami, then this series should be quick. The Heat are a very good team but the Western Conference is just a different beast. They haven’t had to face a team this good throughout the playoffs. The series is far from over but it’s hard to imagine the Lakers taking too much of a step back.
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Lakers’ JR Smith Trolls Referee After Game 1 Win