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Cavs starting guard J.R. Smith needs thumb surgery

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2016, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, left, and forward Richard Jefferson (24) sit next to empty chairs on the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, in Memphis, Tenn. J.R. Smith needs surgery on his right thumb and will be sidelined indefinitely. Smith got hurt late in the first half of Tuesday night’s, Dec. 20, 2016, game in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2016, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, left, and forward Richard Jefferson (24) sit next to empty chairs on the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, in Memphis, Tenn. J.R. Smith needs surgery on his right thumb and will be sidelined indefinitely. Smith got hurt late in the first half of Tuesday night’s, Dec. 20, 2016, game in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File) FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2016, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, left, and forward Richard Jefferson (24) sit next to empty chairs on the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, in Memphis, Tenn. J.R. Smith needs surgery on his right thumb and will be sidelined indefinitely. Smith got hurt late in the first half of Tuesday night’s, Dec. 20, 2016, game in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)

By Associated Press 2 min read

CLEVELAND (AP) – Cavaliers starting guard J.R. Smith will be out indefinitely with a broken right thumb, an injury that will test the depth of the defending NBA champions.

Smith got hurt late in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s game in Milwaukee and didn’t return after halftime in a game the Cavs won 114-108 in overtime. X-rays taken after the game were inconclusive, but further tests done Wednesday in Cleveland revealed the fracture.

The Cavs aren’t putting a timeline on know how long Smith will be sidelined. Typically, injuries like Smith’s require at least one month of recovery time, but the severity of the break is not known and his return date won’t be determined until after the operation.

The team did not say when Smith will have surgery.

Smith’s injury is the latest and most serious medical setback for the Cavs, who are 20-6 going into Wednesday’s home game against the Bucks. Power forward Kevin Love, who is having an All-Star season, missed Tuesday’s game with a bruised knee and reserve center Chris “Birdman” Andersen suffered a season-ending knee injury last week in practice.