May 09--Cavs' Iman Shumpert said he would do all he could to play in Game 3 on Wednesday night. He apparently did enough.
Cavs coach David Blatt said Shumpert will play at the United Center, despite the groin strain he suffered in a Game 2 victory against the Bulls. Blatt said they will monitor the guard, who is from Oak Park and has been a spark for the Cavs.
It helps that J.R. Smith returns from a two-game suspension.
Blatt said shortly before the game that he did not expect a rusty Smith, who has not played in nearly two weeks and missed the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"He's a guy who's a very big part of our system," Blatt said. "He's worked hard these last 12 days."
Smith was the first Cavs player on the United Center court Friday morning, launching shots before the team's shoot around.
"If anything I want to keep my rhythm that's the best way I know how, stay in the gym, stay active," Smith said. "If I just sit around moping around it's not going to help anybody, especially my teammates. I just have to do the best I can to stay locked in and focused."
Blatt declined to announce before the game whether Smith would start.
The Cavs got tied up in Chicago rush hour traffic before the game, keeping them from arriving at the United Center until about 70 minutes before tipoff. Blatt said the late arrival didn't unnerve players.
"It didn't seem to bother them," he said.
