CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The J.R. Smith-Mike Woodson feud escalated Tuesday, putting the future of the Knicks’ sixth man under a dark cloud.
Smith didn’t play again, but this time the Knicks didn’t win again and afterward he called the whole thing “ridiculous.’’
Woodson’s latest sending-a-message-to-J.R. ploy backfired on a night the Knicks needed a spark. But Woodson stuck to his guns and benched Smith, and the team’s five-game winning streak ended in a 108-98 defeat to the Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Wednesday is the first day Smith can be traded under a quirk in the NBA bylaws for 2013 free agents, but a despondent Smith had his bags packed for Indiana and flew with the club. His future, however, is in question as a viable member of the team after being benched for the second time in four games.
Smith, who ticked off the organization and the NBA for untying the sneakers of the Mavericks’ Shawn Marion and allegedly attempting the same trick against the Pistons’ Greg Monroe the next game, said he had no idea what the latest benching was about, saying there was no new incident to inflame the situation.
But perhaps the sneaker-lace caper was the final straw for Woodson and Knicks owner James Dolan, whom The Post had reported was already irate over Smith’s public complaint of being “betrayed’’ by the recent waiving of his brother, Chris Smith.
“For [the sneakers] to be the trigger point and for all this to happen is ridiculous,’’ Smith said in the quiet of the Knicks’ locker room.
Asked if he wanted to be traded, Smith said, “I’m not worried about that. I’m trying to fix what’s going on here.’’
Smith, though, added he didn’t want to be a Knick if he can’t help the team.
“I’ll figure out what I can do better to help this team and go from there,’’ Smith said. “If I can’t help the team, no point in me being here.’’
Woodson, who sat Smith on Thursday in the win over the Heat, wouldn’t reveal what went into his latest decision to bench Smith after playing him in Philadelphia on Saturday and against the Suns on Monday.
“I’m not even commenting on J.R.,’’ Woodson said. “I just didn’t play him tonight, just didn’t play him.’’
When asked if Smith would play in Indiana on Thursday, Woodson said, “I’m not commenting on that.’’
Smith said he was bewildered by the latest benching, saying he had “no conversation’’ with Woodson.
“I hadn’t the slightest clue,’’ Smith said. “I’m just worried about getting better. If I don’t play, I go to the weight room or the court to get shots up.’’
The Knicks’ effort was so bad that on two occasions in the second half, the large contingent of Knicks fans broke into “J.R. Smith’’ chants on a night the Knicks were flat and Carmelo Anthony was ordinary (20 points on 9-of-22 shooting).
“I heard it,’’ Smith said. “It was great people want to see me play.’’
Rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. has been ahead of Smith in the rotation the past week. He played 26 minutes Tuesday and scored 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
After the game, Smith bolted the locker room in uniform to head to the weight room. Smith sat at the end of the bench and didn’t join the huddles during timeouts, at times just staring up at the scoreboard. When a fan shouted at him during the third quarter, asking why he wasn’t playing, Smith shrugged his shoulders.
“I stopped being surprised after the Miami game,’’ said Smith, who was suspended by the NBA for the first five games of the season for failing three marijuana tests.
Smith admitted he wasn’t sure if the feud was over despite getting off the pine in the second quarter in Philly, leading a Knick turnaround, and logging 25 minutes on Monday against Phoenix.
“Yes and no,’’ Smith said. “You got to take the punches as they come. Communication from my end is over. I’m going to show by my effort.’’
Anthony said he hopes Smith plays in Indiana.
“The only thing I could do is keep giving him positive energy,’’ said Anthony, his teammate in Denver. “That’s the only thing I could do. Whatever’s going on with him and Woody, they have to deal with that. Of course we missed him. He’s a big part of our team. Sometimes the way he goes, we go. We miss him. Hopefully this will be it.’’
After the Miami victory, Woodson benched Smith again in the first quarter in Philly but played him after the Knicks fell behind by eight points to start the second quarter.
Before Monday’s game with the Suns, Woodson seemed ready to move on from the feud, but warned, “The bottom line is, he has to be more of a pro and do the right things and concentrate on playing basketball. That’s the name of the game. You got to concentrate on your craft and what you’ve been paid to do — and that’s play basketball.’’
Woodson wouldn’t let Smith play basketball Tuesday.