NBA

Amar’e not pleased with J.R.’s 3-point chucking

MIAMI — One Knick who wasn’t happy about J.R. Smiths’ record-setting 3-point aerial show was power forward Amar’e Stoudemire.

As Smith set an NBA record with 22 3-point attempts, including 10 in the final period, Stoudemire felt the club blew an opportunity to go inside to him and take advantage of Miami’s small-ball lineup. Stoudemire finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He had only two shot attempts in the fourth quarter — making both.

“They went small,’’ Stoudemire said. “There were times Shane Battier was guarding me for a good seven minutes out there. They got away with it. Opportunities like that, you got to take advantage of it, got to make that guy play defense especially when he’s undersized guarding myself or Tyson [Chandler]. We didn’t quite take advantage of that and they got the win.’’

The Knicks launched 42 3-pointers. To support Stoudemire’s argument, Chandler, too, was a beast inside in the first half, scoring all 10 of his points before going quiet.

Stoudemire has taken Smith to task before after the reigning Sixth Man of the Year questioned the team’s heart last month. Stoudemire said players should look in the mirror before making statements like that.

Coach Mike Woodson also critiqued Smith on Saturday for not feeding Stoudemire underneath in the final frantic seconds of Friday’s loss to Washington. Off a scramble with 2 seconds left, Smith snatched the ball and heaved a 3-pointer. But replays showed asking Smith to see Stoudemire with two defenders running at him was too much to ask.


The AmericanAirlines Arena, where his father starred, is becoming a house of horrors for rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. He went scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting (0-for-4 on 3-pointers). In his pro debut in Miami last month, Hardaway shot 2-of-15. Still, he is expected to be named first-team All Rookie. Hardaway’s father, Tim, was a Heat legend and is now a team scout. He was in attendance Sunday and visited the Knicks locker room before the game.


The Knicks took a 16-3 lead to start. “It was flummoxing,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.