The New York Knicks have a do or die Game 6 on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers on the road and if they can pull out the victory, the team will force a Game 7 at home at Madison Square Garden on Monday and could find a way into the conference finals against the Miami Heat.
Carmelo Anthiny has been the focal pont for the Knicks and he will need to contine that strng pay in Game 6 for the team to have a chance to win, while the PAcers may be without George Hill for the second straight game after he dropped 26 points in the game where he siffered a concussion,
Anthony's scoring prowess has powered the New York Knicks all season but he may need someone to fill the role of sidekick in order to stave off playoff elimination against the Indiana Pacers. J.R. Smith filled the role most of the season, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in the process, but he has been ice cold since a one-game suspension for throwing an elbow during the opening-round series against the Boston Celtics.
With defensive-minded Indiana focused on stopping Anthony, a potent second option could swing the balance as the Knicks seek a win on Saturday that would extend the Eastern Conference semi-finals to a decisive seventh game on Monday in New York. A new contender emerged Thursday when New York extended the series with an 85-75 Game Five win over the visiting Pacers as 29-year-old rookie Chris Copeland sank 3-of-4 from three-point range to tally 13 points and provide a jolt of offense.
The 6-foot-8 Copeland was signed by the Knicks off an impressive performance at the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas after stops in pro leagues in Belgium, Germany and Spain. Copeland, still treated as a fresh-faced rookie despite approaching his 30th birthday and made to tote around a pink plastic Dora the Explorer tote bag as part of his hazing, said he was confident he could contribute.
Smith, who averaged 14.2 points in the regular season, showed signs of coming out of his funk, scoring 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting in Game Five.
Rumors had swirled about Smith's state of mind on Thursday after recording artist Rihanna, pictured with him this week at a New York night club and once linked romantically with the hoops star in the gossip pages, used social media to say Smith has been hungover from late night partying during the playoffs.
"It is encouraging to see J.R. playing basketball and putting everything aside at this point," said Anthony. "It seems like he is finding his way to get off that island, what we call a shooting struggle. J.R. is a big part of our team's success." (Reuters quotes)