When J.R. Smith went down with an apparent knee injury on Monday night versus Toronto, hearts across Cleveland, Ohio came to a sudden stop.
Cavs fans, less than two months removed from celebrating their starting two-guard’s new deal with the team, were instantly struck with fear. For J.R. Smith was noticeably hurt, and despite trying to fight through it at first, limped straight to the locker room under his own power following the injury.
Smith was examined and evaluated at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, also undergoing an MRI on his left knee.
Fortunately for Cleveland, Shams Charania of the Vertical reports that Smith’s MRI has come back clean:
The results of Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith’s MRI on Tuesday showed no structural damage to his left knee, league sources told The Vertical.
Smith, 31, is expected to be day-to-day.
The Cavaliers are calling Smith’s injury a hyperextended knee, and say that he’ll miss Wednesday’s game against the Knicks. They confirmed that his status will be day-to-day.
Smith’s laser sharpshooting ability and laid-back, funny persona are both essential towards Cleveland remaining atop the Eastern Conference rankings. The Cavaliers’ players and management recognized this much back in October.
Luckily for the Cavs, Smith won’t be missing significant time, and will likely be sidelined for only a few games.
