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Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith provide jolt to Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting lineup in Game 2 win

The pair combined for 17 points and had several high-impact plays.
Credit: Jason Miller, Getty Images
Kyle Korver #26 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Cory Joseph #6 of the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 18, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue had hinted earlier in the week he was still tinkering with his postseason lineup, and on Wednesday, we all saw exactly how he did it, with veterans Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith replacing Jeff Green and Rodney Hood in the starting five in a 100-97 Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers.

While Hood coming off the bench can partially be attributed to his missing pregame shootaround due to the birth of his Twins, Green was a popular scapegoat following Sunday’s Game 1 loss, and for good reason: Despite playing 27 minutes, the 31-year-old missed all seven of his shots.

With those two relegated to the bench, Korver and Smith had a chance to prove themselves, and in a game where it seemed like LeBron James once again had to put the team on his back, the replacements certainly had their share of highlights.

All eight of Korver’s shots were from three-point range. The veteran sharpshooter made four of them, helping the Cavs rebound from a pathetic opening game (23.5 percent) to shoot 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) as a team from behind the arc.

And while Smith scored just five points, his presence on the court for 35 minutes likely helped open up shots for stars James and Kevin Love, as evidenced by his impressive +8 plus/minus (better than even James himself).

Smith also came up with a huge steal and drive to the basket late in the game to give Cleveland some breathing room.

Lue praised Smith's defense, especially on Victor Oladipo, who coughed the ball up six times.

"I thought he really challenged him up the court, picking him up full court, being physical with him, denying [him] the basketball," he said. "J.R.'s defensive aggression was really good for us to start that game."

Lue added he will continue to use the same starting lineup as the series progresses. Hood and Green, on the other hand, saw their minutes cut nearly in half while combining for just seven points on 3-of-8 shooting. While Hood did have a plus/minus of +1, Green’s was -7.

However, LeBron James believes the two could be helped by coming off the bench, and that Smith's and Korver's experience is a huge plus.

"When you add [George] Hill, who has his own experience as well, that definitely helps you," he said. "It allowed JG and Rodney to kind of get settled into the game before their number was called. I think it worked well for us tonight."

With the series now tied at one apiece, Game 3 tips off Friday night at 7 p.m. from Indianapolis.

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