INDEPENDENCE, Ohio _ An explanation of what pushed J.R. Smith over the edge, or at the very least a public apology, will have to wait another day.
The Cavaliers shooting guard threw a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones, according to a report from ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst, resulting in his one-game suspension for Thursday night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Quicken Loans Arena.
Smith returned to practice Friday after being suspended by the team for detrimental conduct. He declined to speak to the media, telling team officials he will talk at shootaround before Saturday's home game against the Denver Nuggets.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue offered no more details about the situation. He said Smith did not address the team before its film session at Cleveland Clinic Courts, but that he had "a little discussion" with Smith.
Asked about for more about what happened Thursday, Lue said, "I'm not going to get into all that."
In his 76ers' pregame press conference, Lue said Smith will regain his spot in the starting lineup against the Nuggets. Smith has started 213 of 223 games played for the Cavs since he was acquired from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade on Jan. 5, 2015.
But Smith is averaging 8.3 points per game, the lowest since his second year in the league, and is shooting 39.2 percent from the field, a nadir surpassed only by his 34.6 percent in 41 games last season. He's struggled mentally since Lue started Dwyane Wade over him for the first three games of the season before Wade, traded to the Miami Heat on Feb. 8, accepted the role of running the second unit.
Lue said Thursday the incident that prompted Smith's suspension happened after the 76ers shootaround. After that session, Jones participated in a contest with Cavs guard George Hill and Jones boasted about his prowess, saying, "When the camera's on is when I'm at my best."
Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA, including three with the Cavs from 2005-08 before becoming the team's roving instructor and an assistant with the G League's Canton Charge.
Newcomer Rodney Hood, acquired from the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline, took over for Smith against the 76ers. Hood made 5 of 14 shots, 1 of 5 from beyond the arc, totaling 11 points, five rebounds and five assists and a blocked shot in 39 minutes.
Lue said Friday that Hood was thinking too much, Lue continuing his post-game observation about the four new Cavs.
"I try to talk to him throughout the course of the game, just telling him to be aggressive playing his game," Lue said. "It's just a tough situation to come into. And we need him to be aggressive, score the ball and be who he is. Like I said in that Brooklyn game, LeBron talked to him and just told him, 'You got to be aggressive pushing the ball. I got to run the floor.' I think he had four coast-to-coast layups in that second half of that game. So just got to stay on him about attacking the basket."
