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