Cavaliers’ J.R. Smith hits near-halfcourt shot, calmly takes a seat

Few things beat the rush of making a halfcourt shot. The rush is even better when you’re playing in front of your home crowd.

Coming off such a high, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith had little choice but to take a courtside seat and catch his breath Sunday against the Chicago Bulls.

Smith beat the clock heading into halftime with a fall-away heave just a few feet inside the halfcourt line. The veteran fell into the seats behind him, and comfortably sat there for a few moments after the shot went in, giving the Cavaliers a nine-point lead heading into the break.

And no, those seats aren’t part of the team’s bench; they’re reserved for fans who want to watch the came courtside between two portions of the scorer’s table.

When Smith finally stood up, he looked like he was going to celebrate by jumping and colliding with a teammate, but the two stopped short and took a bow instead.

Anytime you make a shot like that, you can take all the bows you like.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving later made shot from well beyond halfcourt to beat a shot clock. The luck just seemed to be on Cleveland’s side, as the Central Divsion-leading team won 99-94, earning its 50th victory of the year.

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