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Cleveland Cavaliers: J.R. Smith the proven X-factor

By Nathan Beighle

Mar 16, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 4 of the NBA Finals by 21 points and the unsung hero was the proven X-factor, J.R. Smith.

In Game 4, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors at their own game. They broke the NBA record for threes in a Finals game with 24.

J.R. Smith had five of them, which is four more than he had in Games 1 and 2 combined. His struggle at the beginning of the series almost looked unrecoverable and many fans thought that coach Tyronn Lue might bench him in favor of Iman Shumpert.

Lue decided to continue with Smith. Even in Game 3, it paid off. Smith was 5-for-10 from deep in Game 3 and while the Cavaliers blew a late-game lead, the sharpshooter finally did what was asked of him.

Instead of Smith, it was Kevin Love who disappeared offensively in that game. He did record six steals, so Love definitely put the effort in. His shot (1-for-9) was just not falling that night.

Smith, who played 29 minutes in Friday’s Game 4, scored 15 points. To everyone’s surprise, he actually didn’t just take threes. Smith missed his only field goal attempt inside the arc.

In Game 4, Smith actually made just as many triples as Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry combined.

Here is Smith’s most impressive triple from Friday’s game.

In the two games in which Cleveland has found any type of traction, J.R. Smith has stepped up. In his 42 minutes in the first two games, Smith tallied a horrendous minus-30.

His plus-6 in the next two games is a testament to just how Swish has been able to increase in his and his teammates play. With Game 5 in Golden State is coming up, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be doomed if they get a performance from Smith like they did in their other games in the Bay.

Must Read: 3 takeaways from Cleveland's emphatic Game 4 victory

While the spotlight ended up on Kyrie Irving and his 40 points, J.R. Smith should get some credit because he has proven to be a crucial X-factor for this team.