The Cleveland Cavaliers will be down more than just Kevin Love to start the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Chicago Bulls or Milwaukee Bucks.
The NBA has suspended Cavaliers wing J.R. Smith for two games for his actions in Sunday's Game 4 against the Boston Celtics. Early in the third quarter, Smith delivered a spinning backfist that floored Celtics forward Jae Crowder, spraining his ACL in the process.
This is hardly the first disciplinary run-in for Smith, who has a long history of fines and suspensions and was nervous about his impending fate on Sunday.
It appeared Smith had settled his disorderly ways some since landing in Cleveland, as he had proven a productive and distraction-free member of the team, averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while hitting 39 percent of his threes.
As it turns out, he's still Smith. Some may feel a two-game ban is hefty since it's the playoffs, but given his track record, the opposite stance is also somewhat valid.
Not a knock on Jr cause he's the homie, but I get 1game for pushing someone! Let me take a swing w/a closed fist. NBA picks & chooses #joke
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) April 27, 2015
Smith took to Instagram after the announcement to apologize for his actions:
Not the player I want to be not the player I want my teammates an family to see not the person I want the fans to see but I will be better! I must be better as a player an as a Person! #TheLand
In any case, it's a tough blow to the Cavs, who will be rendered thin at the wing and forward, thanks to Love's absence.
In a move that's sure to make Cavaliers fans feel zero percent better, Kelly Olynyk has also been suspended for one game for the play in which he dislocated Love's shoulder, forcing him out of at least the second round of the playoffs.
Love called the play "bush-league" and accused Olynyk of injuring him intentionally, something the long-haired Canadian vehemently denied. Olynyk won't serve his suspension until the 2015-16 season opener, as the Cavaliers successfully completed the four-game sweep on Sunday.
Whether Olynyk did it on purpose or not - there's evidence he and Love had played a chippy game back-and-forth - is of little consequence now for the Cavs, who could be opposite a difficult Bulls team without two of their core rotation pieces. They may well survive the series, but it will take an additional toll on the roster, particularly on LeBron James, who's now likely to see more time in the post.
Kendrick Perkins was fined $15,000 for a separate incident in which he was whistled for a flagrant foul on Crowder, who really had a bad day.
