In a familiar theme throughout the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers are just toying with the Boston Celtics in Game 3 on Sunday. At the end of the first half, the Cavs led 66-50 and are playing so confidently that they took a in-game break from basketball to play a little bit of football. That may seem to good to be true but that’s essentially what happened in the final minute of the second quarter.
After grabbing a rebound, J.R. Smith gave the ball to Kevin Love, who fired an amazing outlet pass to LeBron James. Love’s pass was from behind the opposite end’s free-throw line, yet it perfectly landed in James’ hands over the outstretched arms of Marcus Smart, allowing the Cavs superstar to score with ease. It was yet another example of how Love is the king of the outlet pass and the undisputed quarterback of the NBA.
Here is another angle of Love’s insane pass to James:
The whole play is essentially between Love and James but Smith’s contribution, albeit small, can not be overlooked. Smith knows Love is the best ever at outlet passes, so he quickly handed his teammate the ball and watched the magic happen.
It was a smart choice by Smith that led to one of the best plays of the series.
