The internet can’t get enough of JR Smith’s Game 1 blunder — and LeBron James’ reaction to it

June 1, 2018 9:14 AM PT

LeBron James’ face said it all.

The look the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar gave JR Smith following a play that cost their team a chance to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals showed his profound annoyance with his teammate.

And the internet isn’t letting Smith off the hook either for the gaffe that eventually led to the Cavs’ 124-114 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors:

Here’s how Times staff writer Tania Ganguli described the final seconds of regulation and its aftermath:

“The game went to overtime after Cleveland’s JR Smith ran out the clock following an offensive rebound. James screamed at Smith on the court after the play, and Smith appeared to tell him he thought the Cavaliers were leading, not tied at 107.

“In his postgame news conference, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said Smith thought the Cavaliers were winning.

“But Smith had a different story.

“ ‘I knew we were tied,’ Smith said. ‘I thought we were gonna call timeout because I got the rebound. Pretty sure no one thought I was going to shoot over [Kevin Durant]. If I thought we were ahead, I would’ve just held onto the ball for them to foul me. Clearly that wasn’t the case.’

“James wouldn’t go further into what he knew about Smith’s mentality after the game. A persistent line of questioning about that subject caused James to put down his microphone, put on his sunglasses and walk off the podium, ending the interview.

“ ‘I would never give up on JR,’ James had said earlier in the news conference. ‘That’s not my MO. I don’t give up on any of my players, any of my teammates.’ ”

But even if James is ready to move on, many social media users are not.