J.R. Smith realizes a suspension is likely coming for decking Jae Crowder during the Game 4 win in Boston.
BOSTON - The Cavaliers literally knocked out the Celtics in a Game 4 101-93 road win that swept the series on Sunday.
Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith will almost certainly be hit with a suspension following his backhanded, closed fist punch that connected on the right side of Jae Crowder's chin, decking him.
As he buckled, Crowder sprained his left knee and was not able to finish the game. After the final buzzer, he was seen leaving the arena and headed for the hospital.
Smith was accessed a Flagrant 2, which carries an automatic ejection. But that won't be extent of his punishment after the league looks over the footage on Monday morning.
"I know I'm nervous as hell to see what could come out of this," Smith said after the game. "It's a situation I put my teammates in and it's a selfish act...Hopefully it works out for the best."
Smith did his best to tell his version of the event.
"As I'm boxing him out, I kept feeling his forearm on the upper part of my shoulders," he explained. "I tried to keep backing up, backing up. He kept pushing, pushing, pushing. And unfortunately I tried to swing my arm loose thinking that was the best way to get my arm up in position to rebound and I made contact."
With Kevin Love's status uncertain due to a separated left shoulder, a looming suspension for Smith is not what the Cavaliers were hoping for as they get set to take on the winner of the Chicago Bulls-Milwaukee Bucks series as early as Saturday.
It's not good timing.
"It was nothing malicious about it," he said. "I didn't try to do anything to hurt him or anybody else. It's not the way I play the game and unfortunately I got a Flagrant 2 and let my teammates down. We still advanced, but it's still not a good feeling going into the next round."
It's hard to make a case that Smith doesn't deserve a suspension for the punch. But for his part, he was remorseful, apologetic and he told Northeast Ohio Media Group that he would reach out to Crowder. Yet, he spoke as if he knew it was inevitable.
The Cavaliers could be without their sharpshooter for a couple of games.
"I've been in this situation before in the playoffs and it's not a good feeling to go into," Smith said. "A new team, a new situation, feeling like things are coming on the up and up and to be "back in this situation again" is nothing I want to happen and unfortunately my team is going to pay for it more than anything."
Monday will be an informative day, as we'll know more on Love and the fate of Smith. LeBron James said the team would continue to press on regardless of the circumstances.
"We only can control what we can control," he said. "If Love is out and if J.R., whatever happens with him, then it's the next man up. It's the next man up. We have guys that have been able to step up."
Smith said hopefully there's no suspension on either end. He just urges league officials to take a deep look at the play and what led to it before determining an outcome.
"I want them to see the bumping and grinding from both ends," he said. "Just don't look at it from one side because one person got hurt or whatever you want to call it. See both sides and try to make a decision off of that."