Carmelo Anthony lures J.R. Smith, New York Knicks reap immediate rewards

NBA NEW YORK -- Guard J.R. Smith had one goal when he stepped onto the Madison Square Garden floor for the first time in a Knicks uniform: “First thing I was thinking was, ‘Don’t airball your first shot. You’ll never live that down in New York City.’”

He did not. In fact, shortly after hitting the floor in the Knicks’ 104-97 win over the Mavericks on Sunday, Smith knocked down his first shot for his new team, sinking a 3-pointer from the left wing.

Not bad for a guy who grew up across the river in New Jersey and signed with the Knicks just two days ago after playing for more than three months in China. Smith looked a bit rusty, but still finished with 15 points, shooting 6-for-16 from the floor and providing a boost to a Knicks bench in need of help on the wings, especially with guard Iman Shumpert in foul trouble.

“J.R. came in, and I was not sure if I was going to play him (Sunday) or not,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “But Shumpert picked up two quick fouls and it was just a matter of, we need something.”

After saying he might play Smith in limited stretches, D’Antoni instead got 29 minutes out of the new guy, emphasizing the importance of adding to what had been a thin bench. For that, Smith said, injured Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony—Smith’s former teammate in Denver—deserves an assist. Smith was choosing between offers from New York and the Clippers, and the godfathers of his two daughters are Anthony and Clippers star Chris Paul, who was also recruiting Smith.

“Melo really sealed the deal for me,” Smith said. “Chris Paul and Melo ... either way it really couldn’t have gone wrong. But I talked to Melo, and after playing with him in Denver and him telling me what kind of atmosphere this really was, it sealed the deal 100 percent.”

Part of the reason Smith wanted to play in New York was that he felt he would get a good opportunity for playing time. D’Antoni wasted no time in making Smith feel needed, inserting him with 5:34 to play in the first quarter. That brought Smith full circle, from his sometimes rocky stint in China, back home to the East Coast, making 3s for the Knicks.

“All during warmups, I was saying to myself, ‘This is crazy. I am at the Garden. I am wearing a Knicks uniform. This is crazy,’” Smith said. “I never would have imagined in all these years, to be out there. ... The last 12 months, it has been a whirlwind. Being home, being with my family, in the city of New York, it has been unbelievable.”