J.R. Smith may not be out of his slump, but his performance in Game 5 against the Pacers last night was a step in the right direction.
Smith, who has been mired in a horrific shooting slump since his ejection in Game 3 of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Celtics, had 13 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists, three steals and a blocked shot to help the Knicks earn an 85-75 win over the Pacers to keep their season alive.
“I still didn’t shoot my best, but it always helps to come home and play in front of these fans,” Smith said. “Hopefully the little bit of rhythm I did get carries me over.”
The notoriously streaky shooting guard has been dreadful ever since elbowing Jason Terry in the face late in a win over the Celtics on April 26. After shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from 3-point range in those first three games against the Celtics, Smith had shot a dreadful 26-for-91 (28.6 percent) from the field and 10-for-37 (27 percent) from 3-point range since returning from that one-game suspension.
And while Smith didn’t exactly shoot the lights out last night, finishing 4-for-11, he did get off to a good start, nailing a corner 3-pointer on his first shot of the game.
“It helped me out a lot,” Smith said of that first shot. “It takes the pressure off that first one.”
During his slump, Smith also has been questioned about his penchant for partying, a line of thought that was amplified when pop star Rihanna accused him on her Instagram account of playing badly because he’s been “hung over,” before later deleting the message.
Smith laughed it off after the game,
“I’m not worried about Instagram,” he said. “ I’m worried about the playoffs.”
His teammates credited him with staying focused.
“It’s encouraging to just see J.R. focus in, and just put everything else to the side,” said Carmelo Anthony.
tbontemps@nypost.com