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J.R. Smith on avoiding Dellavedova-Gibson scuffle: 'Just don't hit nobody'

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Things have gone awry when J.R. Smith is the one trying to let cooler heads prevail.

It was moderately surprising to say the oft-in-trouble Smith stayed largely out of the fracas on Tuesday, when Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls devolved into a pull-apart shoving match.

The impetus was Taj Gibson kicking Matthew Dellavedova after the Australian tried to put him in the Texas Cloverleaf, resulting in an ejection for Gibson and a retroactive technical for Dellavedova. After Gibson kicked Dellavedova, Smith was one of the Cavaliers rushing to his defense, grabbing a hold of Gibson's arm.

Shortly after, Aaron Brooks sprinted in and shoved Smith from behind, an act that would normally be expected to see Brooks eat a spinning back fist. Instead, Smith kept his cool, keeping his career fine total in check.

"Just don't hit nobody," Smith said of what was going through his head at the time. "That was my main thing. ... There was definitely a fire lit, but I tried to keep my cool as much as I could."

It's a good thing for the Cavs that Smith kept his cool, as he's a repeat offender in the league's eyes and likely would have been hit with an appreciable suspension if he retaliated. As Smith has learned, there's no sense bringing a pipe to a knife fight.

Smith missed the first two games of the series due to a suspension he received in the first round of the playoffs for laying the smack down on Jae Crowder. In three games since returning, Smith has averaged 13 points on 50 percent shooting, knocking down 9-of-21 from outside.

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