CLEVELAND: Iman Shumpert might not consider it redemption.
The Cavaliers’ guard harbors such distain for media interviews that his brief remarks offered no measure of his satisfaction, no gauge of his possibly bruised psyche.
“I just did my job,” Shumpert said.
But his performance in the second half of Monday night’s 117-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs seemed like a rises-from-the-ashes moment for Shumpert.
Learning he was taking over as he ran onto the court for the second half, Shumpert filled in for J.R. Smith after a left hamstring injury forced Smith out of the game. Shumpert drew the assignment on Pacers’ four-time All-Star Paul George and Shumpert’s defense provided the spark as the Cavs took an 18-point lead at the end of the third quarter.
Shumpert’s impact was magnified because he struggled down the stretch as the regular season ended and didn’t play in Game 1. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue explained he chose Richard Jefferson over Shumpert with the second unit because he liked the matchup of Jefferson on the Pacers’ Thaddeus Young.
Seemingly out of Lue’s rotations, Shumpert might have changed the minds of the coaching staff with his effort, along with a big 3-pointer 95 seconds into the third quarter. He finished with five points and a steal. Although Smith was frustrated he wasn’t allowed to play, saying, “I was fine tonight,” and “My leg ain’t broke,” his status is uncertain for Game 3 Thursday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse as the Pacers try to climb out of a 2-0 deficit in the series.
The only indication of what the opportunity meant to Shumpert might have come when close friend Kyrie Irving spoke to Shumpert before the second half began. But Shumpert insisted he couldn’t remember Irving’s message.
“We’re close, though, we talk all game,” Shumpert said. “You were probably better off trying to read lips at that point.”
George was double-teamed in the second half, with the Cavs running an extra defender at him. It was not LeBron James, who went one-on-one with George in the Cavs’ double-overtime victory over the Pacers on April 2.
But George’s second-half stat line helped tell Shumpert’s story: 14 points, 4-of-11 field goals, 2-of-6 3-pointers. In the third quarter, as the Cavs opened a 96-78 lead, George scored four points, making 1-of-4 field goals and going 0-for-2 from beyond the arc. In the first half, George scored 18 points, making 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
“Shump was unbelievable. Just staying ready, being professional,” Lue said. “He came in and made it tough on Paul George. We held Paul George to four points in that third quarter where our defense was really good. Shump sparked that, made a couple shots for us also. Just his energy defensively, made a couple shots, his tenacity, it was really good for us. We needed that spark.”
Shumpert downplayed the fact that his defensive effort ignited his team.
“That’s all our purpose, to get out there and add to what the team needs to win,” he said.
But his teammates were just as impressed by Shumpert’s night as Lue.
“He gave us energy,” Irving said. “To have J.R. go out like that, it was a big switch. But understanding that he’s there every day, he’s focused. Just understanding the moment, what it entails and going forward. He made some big plays for us and that’s a step in the right direction of being a consummate professional, especially being on a team like this. We have so many pieces on this team, but everyone has to stay ready.
“He had that mindset, came in and executed. It’s hard to come off the bench right after halftime. We just need Shump to stay focused and understand the task at hand and I think he did a good job of that tonight. And hopefully J.R. is all right as well.”
James lauded Shumpert’s effort as that of a “true professional.”
“Gotta stay ready. His number wasn’t called in Game 1. It wasn’t called for the first half of this game because of the circumstances,” James said. “He was keeping himself ready behind the scenes. We needed that energy from him. Also hit a big 3 on a swing-swing from [Kevin Love].”
Lue was impressed by how Shumpert handled the situation. He also played only six minutes in a home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 7.
“He’s been great on the bench, cheering guys on, keeping guys motivated and when it was his turn to play he stepped up and played well. That’s what we need from Shump,” Lue said.
The Cavs might update Smith’s status on Wednesday, when they practice before heading to Indianapolis. Smith was clearly upset when he came out of the locker room at halftime a few minutes after the team, sitting on the court in the end zone until play resumed.
Asked about Smith’s frustration, Lue said, “Not knowing if he was going to get a chance to go. Our trainer Steve [Spiro] said it’s not a smart thing for him to try it, so we sat him out and he was kind of mad about it. When you get in the playoffs you want to compete and he’s been doing a great job. We understand that, but we’ve got to be smart also.”
Smith talked as he walked down the hallway on his way out of the arena. He said he “landed the wrong way” and injured the hamstring. Asked if there was a debate about him returning to the game, he said, “I mean, I was fine tonight. If they let me play, then I’ll play. If they don’t let me play, then I won’t.”
But Smith was just as complimentary of Shumpert as the rest of the Cavs.
“I think he played great,” Smith said. “He did a hell of a job on the defensive end, came in and made a big shot for us. He did what he was supposed to do.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.