Ezra ShawOn Thursday night at Oracle Arena, with the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers tied 107-107 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Cavs guard George Hill clanked his second free throw to give his team the lead. But with a few ticks still on the clock, Cleveland had one more chance when J.R. Smith got the offensive rebound. Instead, Smith ran around attempting to run out the clock because he thought Cleveland had the lead.
RELATED: Twitter had a field day with J.R. Smith's blunder, but the best Tweet was one that came to his defense
It's already in the conversation for worst mental errors ever, and because it came in such an enormous game the Cavs so desperately needed to make this series interesting, it might be the worst. OK, so we're prone to hyperbole in these 24-hour news cycle times, but still, why J.R, WHY!?!??!
https://twitter.com/ericsports/status/1002402762376613888
After the game, Smith tried to say he knew the score, but it was too late, because his ..

Lachlan Cunningham(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)J.R. Smith went full J.R. Smith at the worst possible moment in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, forgetting the score and dribbling out the clock instead of attempting a game-winning shot at the end of regulation. It was mistake that seemingly personified the career of Smith, a player whose talent has been offset by his, ahem, routine lapses in judgement. Despite winning a ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, Smith's blunder—one that ruined (arguably) the best Finals performance from the (arguably) greatest player the league has ever seen—might endure as the thing that encapsulates his existence.
As you can imagine, Twitter—rough crowd, that Twitter—had a field day with Smith's gaffe. We won't highlight those barbs; the Internet is mean enough as is. However, we will relay Twitter's best response, which coincidentally, is one that came to his defense:
https://twitter.com/yoGleech/status/1002405177033482242
M..

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (AP) Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz is making his mark in a new sport.

Golf.

The 51-year-old Smoltz qualified for the U.S. Senior Open on Thursday, emerging from a three-man playoff to take the final spot.

Article continues below …

Three places were up for grabs in the 18-hole qualifier at Planterra Ridge Golf Club in Peachtree City, Georgia, about 30 miles south of Atlanta. Jack Larkin and Sonny Skinner got through in regulation by shooting 4-under 68, with Smoltz and two others one stroke back.

Brian Tennyson was eliminated on the first playoff hole with a bogey. On the third extra hole, Smoltz finished off Brian Ferris despite making double bogey.

Smoltz spent most of his career with the Atlanta Braves. He finished with a record of 213-155 with 154 saves – making him the only pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins and 150 saves. He was an eight-time All-Star and captured the NL Cy Young Award in 1996.

Smoltz also was an avid golfer in his spare time..

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) The sun shone brightly at rain-soaked Shoal Creek. So did Ariya Jutanugarn, Sarah Jane Smith and Jeongeun6 Lee.

Jutanugarn, Smith and Lee each shot a 5-under 67 Thursday to share the first-round lead at the U.S. Women’s Open, where the course held up better than some feared after heavy rains in recent days.

Thailand’s Jutanugarn spent hours in front before Smith and Lee caught her in the evening.

Article continues below …

Jutanugarn is coming off a Kingsmill Championship win and kept up the momentum, including an eagle on No. 6. She said she started focusing more on each shot instead of worrying about the big picture.

”At Kingsmill, I started (saying) I’m not going to think about the outcome,” the eight-time LPGA Tour winner said. ”I’m not going to think about winning the tournament.”

Jutanugarn and the Australian Smith each had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys. The Korean Lee, meanwhile, had five birdies on a course that has been drenched in recent w..

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Beau Hossler is looking for a strong finish after another fast start.

The 23-year-old Hossler logged four birdies on the front nine, then recovered from a bogey on the par-3 16th to birdie the 17th and get back to 6-under 66. Hossler is one shot off the lead after the opening round of the Memorial on Thursday.

”Greens were phenomenal,” Hossler said. ”If you get your ball below the hole you can definitely make some putts, and fortunately today I did.”

Article continues below …

Hossler has three top-10 finishes this season, his first on the PGA Tour. He flirted with his first tour win a month ago at the Houston Open, but lost a sudden-death playoff to Ian Poulter on April 1 after he triple-bogeyed the first playoff hole.

Hossler avoided such monumental mistakes on Thursday in his first trip to Muirfield Village.

The bigger challenge lies ahead for Hossler, who hasn’t managed to finish strong since Houston. He shot a 64 in the opening round of the Colonial last w..

Ariya Jutanugard had a strong first day at the US Women's Open.

Juli Inkster and Brad Faxon join Shane Bacon to break down the action from Day 1 of the US Women's Open.

Sarah Jane Smith joins Holly Sonders to break down her performance on Day 1, which left her tied for first place at 5 strokes under par.

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Hideki Matsuyama and Tiger Woods hit their stride at the end of their rounds at the Memorial, and it paid off in different ways.

Matsuyama was in the middle of the pack at Muirfield Village when he ran off four straight birdies and then holed out with a wedge from 130 yards on the 17th hole for an eagle that sent him to a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with 19-year-old Joaquin Niemann of Chile and Abraham Ancer of Mexico.

”As the round went along, I played better and better,” said Matsuyama, who got his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial four years ago.

Article continues below …

So did Woods, which helped him avoid another big number on a course where he has won five times. Woods three-putted from 25 feet to fall to 3 over with five holes to play. He answered with three straight birdies – two of them on par 5s on the front nine – and got up-and-down from 62 yards on the ninth hole for a 72.

”It was nice to somehow grind out the round, turn it around and fin..

Ariya Jutanugarn sits down with Holly Sonders after shooting 5 under par to take an early lead in the US Women's Open.