Source: Ezra Shaw / Getty The first game of the NBA Finals showdown between the reigning champs Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers was a tense and aggressive game that took a wild turn near the end of regulation. With Cavs player J.R. Smith goofing bad on a play with just seconds left on the clock and a chance for victory, his boneheaded play kicked the game into overtime and sparked a flurry of memes. With the game tied at 107 and 4.5 seconds left on the clock, Cavs guard George Hill missed the second of two free throws after being fouled by Klay Thompson in the play prior. With Smith grabbing the board, he dribbled the ball out while LeBron James, who scored 51 points, was yelling for him to make a pass or play. In overtime, the Warriors kicked into a higher gear and picked apart the Cavaliers, who were probably stunned by Smith’s play and failed to recover. Smith became the butt of a barrage of jokes the moment the play happened, with gifs, tweets, and the like popping up with immediacy. We’ve collected some of our favorites, including tweets from the basketball reporting world for context, below and on the following pages. https://twitter.com/Brandale2221/status/1002526568021929984 — Photo: Getty
