Cavaliers Guard JR Smith ‘Hopes’ To Play In Game 3 Vs. Pacers

The defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers may have lost one of their starters for Game 3. JR Smith went down with a hamstring injury after playing 18 minutes in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers.

Smith let it be known that if the Cavaliers let him play in Game 3 on Thursday in Indiana that he will be on the floor, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:

After the game, a 117-111 Cavs win, Smith said he did not require an MRI and he hopes to play in Game 3.

“If they let me play, I’ll play,” he said. “My leg ain’t broke.”

The veteran guard missed half of the regular season as he dealt with injuries. Outside of a stretch of five games in which he scored 12 or more points, Smith hasn’t really made a substantial impact on the floor. Monday was no different as he scored only three points on 1-of-3 shooting in 18 minutes.

The Cavaliers will likely look to Iman Shumpert, Deron Williams, Kyle Korver, and Richard Jefferson to help shoulder the load in Smith’s potential absence.

Regardless of Smith’s absence for more than half of Monday’s game, LeBron James and company were able to get the job done securing the 117-111 victory over Paul George’s Pacers. Kyrie Irving led the way with 37 points followed by Kevin Love’s 27 and LeBron’s always excellent all-around performance.

LeBron put on a show with 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and four blocks. The Cavaliers will look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in Indiana on Thursday and will almost certainly be favored on the road regardless of Smith’s playing status.

Cleveland can close out the series on the road if they can win the next two games.