In the aftermath of a heated moment in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers J.R. Smith is striving to improve on and off the court.
The Cavs guard's actions toward Boston's Jae Crowder that earned him an ejection and two-game suspension merited a follow-up apology Monday.
Tuesday, Smith echoed that same tone with another Instagram post.
Smith was hit with a flagrant-2 and ejection for swinging back and hitting Crowder during the third quarter. Crowder ended up spraining his ACL on the play.
Cleveland's clinching win in a four-game sweep of the Celtics was contentious from the early stages when Kevin Love injured his shoulder in a tie-up with Kelly Olynyk, who was suspended for a game in that incident.
Love will miss the Cavs' Eastern Conference semifinals series and has been ruled "highly unlikely" to return for the remainder of the playoffs.
Cavs center Kendrick Perkins also got into it with Crowder and was handed a $15,000 fine from the NBA.
