It’s rare to see someone on the San Antonio Spurs make a mistake to close a game. Under head coach Gregg Popovich, there always seems to be sound, fundamental play. Maybe not 100 percent of the time, but nothing close to what happened near the end of regulation in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals.
With the score tied, after Cleveland Cavaliers guard George Hill missed the second of two free throws with just seconds remaining, J.R. Smith grabbed the rebound and instead of trying for a last-second shot or passing it away, he dribbled the ball near midcourt and the passed the ball to a teammate too late on the clock.