J.R. Smith on apology to Jae Crowder: ‘He might want to wait on that’

“Yeah, he might want to wait on that,” Smith told reporters after the game.

Before the Boston Celtics met the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night for the first time since last year’s playoffs, Celtics forward Jae Crowder said he was hoping for an apology from Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith for a vicious blow that left him injured.

Smith didn’t give one to him.

“Yeah, he might want to wait on that,” Smith told reporters after the game. “He can hold his breath for it, though. I’ll give it to him sooner or later. It wasn’t intentional how they try to make it seem. If you play chippy, chippy things are going to happen.

“It’s pretty ballsy to ask for an apology from another man, though. I respect it,” Smith added.

During Game 4 of their first-round matchup last April, Smith clubbed Crowder in the face while fighting for position underneath the basket, causing him to fall to the floor and sprain his ACL. Smith was ejected, and suspended two games.

The Cavaliers won on Tuesday, 89–77, though Crowder outscored Smith 14–9.

- Kenny Ducey