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J.R. Smith bought and ate cotton candy in the middle of a preseason game

Dan Devine
·Senior NBA writer

J.R. Smith was inactive on Monday night, sidelined for the second straight game by a sore left hamstring. But the Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard still found a way to make his presence felt from the bench ... or, more accurately, by leaving it in search of fluffy pink sustenance in the middle of the game:

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Yep — that's the ever-adventurous Smith nipping up into the stands during Cleveland's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, and coming away with a pair of cotton candies to enjoy as he watched his teammates work. Well, he didn't keep them both for himself:

... but he did munch on the one he hung onto:

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I wonder if J.R. had cash on hand, or if he just talked the concession worker into hooking him up on the layaway plan. "No, dude, I just signed a $5 million deal. I'm good for it. ... No, I know, I thought I'd get paid more by opting out, too. See, free agency is a fluid ecosystem, and oh crap, I think someone just took a picture of me doing this, so I better get back to the bench. I swear, I'll get you later."

Unsurprisingly, Cavaliers coach David Blatt — a.k.a. J.R.'s Main Dude — was unaware of his shooting guard's in-game snacking, thanks to that whole "paying attention to the game he's coaching" thing. From Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com:

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"I wasn't aware of that," Blatt said when asked about Smith's cotton candy fix after the game. "You know, I'm going to use one of those lines that you always use when there's something that happens. The team's immediate response is: We are gathering further information and we will respond accordingly. I'm going to lay my hat on that one, if I may."

No need for the fact-finding expedition, Coach. McMenamin already did that:

Shortly after Blatt's remarks, a Cavs team official said that Smith was purchasing the cotton candy for the son of professional golfer Jason Day, who was seated by the Cavs bench. Day's wife, Ellie, is from Lucas, Ohio, and is a Cleveland sports fan. The couple sat courtside for Game 3 of the NBA Finals in June.

After finishing the Presidents Cup on Sunday, Day flew from South Korea back to Ohio to catch the Cavs game Monday. Smith, an avid golfer in his free time, has befriended Day since he was traded to Cleveland from New York last season.

We'd imagine Blatt would prefer his players not to wander off in search of snacks during games, even if they're not active, but hey, it's all about the kids. Plus, it's nice to see that J.R.'s finally finding ways to pass the time in Ohio. J.R., next time you go out, do me a favor and see if they're still selling those soft pretzels, OK? ... Yep, yep, and the hot mustard, too. Thanks, man.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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