A few weeks after Andrea Bargnani took one of the most inexplicable shots in NBA history, teammate J.R. Smith tried to do him one better.
The New York Knicks and Houston Rockets were tied at 100 in the final 30 seconds of their game on Friday and the Knicks had the ball. As the shot clock was about to expire, Beno Udrih heaved a 3-pointer that drew iron. Just like last time, Tyson Chandler got the rebound and passed it outside. Udrih moved the ball over to Smith, who chucked up a shot with 22 seconds left in the game. He missed.
The smart play would have been for Smith to hold the ball until the clock wound down so that the Knicks would have the last shot to win the game. What they didn’t want was to give the ball back to Houston. Unfortunately for Smith, Aaron Brooks was fouled by Udrih on the loose ball on the rebound, and Brooks made two free throws. The Rockets, of course, won the game 102-100.
The reaction from Knicks coach Mike Woodson after Smith’s shot was spectacular:
The least Smith could do was own his idiotic play. At least he did that.
“Honestly I thought we were down two when I shot the ball,” Smith admitted after the game. “I started hearing Tyson (Chandler) say ‘No, no, no don’t take the shot.’ But at that point it was already released … it was just bad basketball IQ by me.”
He also tweeted this note:
Bone head play! Slander well deserved!
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) January 4, 2014
Well, if there’s anyone who could shake off a bonehead play like that, it’s Smith. He’ll probably come out firing 20 shots on Sunday.
Also see: Andrea Bargnani takes dumbest shot in history
Video via GIFD Sports; photo via @JorgeSedano
