PHILADELPHIA -- One day after learning of his cousin's death, Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith played with a heavy heart Monday night and scored 11 points in a 113-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Smith was excused from shootaround Monday morning, and he considered not playing against the 76ers after becoming emotional in the locker room when he arrived at the arena, a source close to Smith told ESPN.

Smith fought through the emotions and suited up, however, with several people close to him attending the game at Wells Fargo Center. Smith, a New Jersey native who grew up approximately 50 miles from Philadelphia, declined to speak about the situation when he was approached by several reporters after the game.

According to the source close to Smith, Smith's cousin -- whom Smith once lived with -- died in a house fire on Sunday. The cousin's name and age were not immediately known.

"His family member would have wanted him to play tonight," LeBron James said. "It's very unfortunate what happened. The kid is in a better place now, and I guarantee he was looking down on JR, giving him all the lift and all the strength to come out with his brothers and play tonight. So I commend him."

JR Smith, left, was excused from Monday morning's shootaround and considered not playing against the 76ers, a source told ESPN. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Smith scored nine of his 11 points in the third quarter, helping the Cavs increase their eight-point halftime lead to 13 heading into the fourth. He finished with the highest plus-minus (plus-9) of any of the Cavs starters.

"He was very resilient," Cavs forward Kevin Love told ESPN. "I mean, the fact that he came out and played, I mean, I can't begin to understand what he's going through. But maybe a form of escape was to be out here with guys that he felt like are family as well, and he came out and was a big difference-maker for us tonight. He played fluid. He played with a lot of joy and came out and made some big shots for us."