6. The Cavs nearly fell into an 0-2 hole.
As playoff first-timers, the Cavs couldn’t afford to get off on the wrong foot. But a 100-95 loss in the series opener was followed by a game at the Capital Centre (where the Washington Redskins’ stadium now stands) in which they trailed for much of the night. Disaster was averted when Smith bailed them out with a shot comparable in distance to the one Stephen Curry hit Saturday night for the Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City.
The one major difference was that Smith’s shot counted for only two points because the NBA had yet to implement the three-pointer. Even so, the 80-79 win took a huge burden off their shoulders.
Next: Just one game all series was televised nationally.
