The Knicks had it all planned out:

Bring black clothing to Game 5. Win the game, eliminate the Celtics and have a little fun afterward by wearing all black in the locker room to mimic a funeral.

Didn't exactly work out that way, though.

"We were going to a funeral," J.R. Smith said, "but it looks like we got buried."

And Smith helped the Knicks dig their own grave on Wednesday.

Coming off a Game 4 suspension, the Knicks' sixth man was a no-show against Boston in Game 5. He missed his first 10 shots and finished 3-for-14 with 14 points and two turnovers.

"It was a struggle for him pretty much the whole game," Mike Woodson said. "We got to get him in a position where hes not struggling like that. We need him to score the basketball for us."

The Knicks' reliance on Smith has burned them in the last two games.

Smith was suspended in Game 4 for hitting Jason Terry with an elbow to the face in Game 3.

Without their sixth man, the Knicks' offense stalled.

Carmelo Anthony missed a career-high 25 shots and the Knick bench produced just three points in an overtime loss.

On Wednesday, Smith hurt the Knicks again. Only this time, he was in uniform.

New York jumped out to an 11-0 lead on Boston before Mike Woodson summoned Smith off the bench.

He checked in with 6:38 to go in the quarter and proceeded to miss his first five shots. It was no coincidence that the Knicks trailed, 45-39, at the half.

One reason for Smith's shooting struggles?

Pre-game anxiety.

Smith said he was "extremely anxious" before hitting the floor.

"Coming into the game a lot of fans got me hyped," he said. "I really couldn't wait to play."

Some of those same fans were booing him off the floor when Smith missed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds to go and the Knicks down nine.

By then, it was clear that Smith and the Knicks would be heading to Boston for Game 6 instead of celebrating their first playoff series win since 2000. It was also clear that the Knicks wouldn't be attending any funerals.

"We'll take that. It's all a part of being humbled," Smith said. "Basketball is a very humbling game."

Smith was anything but humble the day before Game 5. He said that the series would have ended in a sweep had he played in Game 4 ("I'd have been playing golf today," he said). He also playfully claimed to not know who Jason Terry was.

But Terry made sure Smith knew his name on Wednesday.

The Celts' sixth man poured in 17 key points in Game 5, including a 3-pointer with three minutes to go to give the Celtics a 12-point lead.

"We can't take nothing away from them," Smith said. "They're a championship ball club."

That's something the Knicks aspire to be. But they've looked like anything but in the last two games.

"Nobody said it was gonna be easy, but now its a series," Woodson said.

Smith, to his credit, accepted full blame for the Knicks' last two losses.

"Yeah, without a doubt," he said. "From the absence of Game 4 ... and then [to] come out today, stink it up.

"I can't have a game like this," he added. "I can't have another one like this."

He's right. Because if he and the Knicks continue to struggle, they might have all summer to hit the golf course.

Who phucking does that? Wear all black clothes to mimic a funeral to make fun of a team you're supposed to "bury".

This series should be over by now, if it weren't selfish play on and off the court.

Where's the leadership? Kidd, Chandler, Camby, Sheed? It sure as hell ain't coming from Melo or JR....

Then again it was supposedly Kmarts idea.

Who knows and why didnt woodson stop them?

Such an embarrassment

the culture might have improved over time since Donnie but when you rely on the likes of JR and Kenyon you pay a price.

They were a part of Denvers success and a part of many of the first round bounce's they had. Melo too.

A quick study of Lebron had his Cav's winning 60 games back to back, then time to advance thru playoffs. Lebron learned from disappoint. Melo is a ten year vet and seems more focused but he just might not have that leadership type DNA in him that can also rise up when things get tight. IN Fact if you look 9 of 10 trips to playoffs its a trend.

The funeral thing might have been a "buy in unity thing" and while its low class its something. Its obvious it did not work.

I expect them to still win this series. We'll deal with it if not.

jrodmc wrote:Yo wife tastes like Cheeryhoes. Very classy.

Ewing and Oak used to wear black shoes throughout the playoffs. Classless?
The game's partially about ego and attitude. We talk about close outs, killer instinct, foot on the neck of the opponent, etc.
Last night, that made little to no difference, since the round thing didn't manage to go through the other round orange thing.

There's a big difference with shaving your heads and wearing black sneakers to promote team unity, and trying to upstage your opponent, which clearly is the case here with this current crop of Knicks.

To me, that's being coccky as phuck when you haven't won a playoff series in 13 years...

This team has made it difficult for me all year to draw close to..... from the off-season shenanigans, to during season shenanigans, and now playoff shenanigans.

If Kidd is such the leader as he's touted why would he involve himself in such buffoonery? He should have been the player of all players saying no guys we can't and will not behave in this manner. Wear a regular suit and tie and let's take care of business.

I do respect what Felton has brought to the table this post-season overall, but that's it.

Oh and when the jaw jackin broke out(with scrubs who didn't even play got DNP'd) at the end of the game why was Q-Snitch just pushing our guys back why wasn't he up in their faces ready to crack skulls?

Oh wait let me go back and revisit the thread on he and K-Mart not allowing the Celtics to get to Melo physically or mentally and I'll come back with a valid explanation.

Focus on execution. Lesson learned!

Nalod wrote:I want to see them focused and showing no emotion. No yapping to refs, no three fingers to the head, and if win, just walk off the court. Congradulate the Celtics and don't address the crowd.

Focus on execution. Lesson learned!

That would be the perfect scenario but you know that the Knicks will not have a business like approach.

DurzoBlint wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/43095/j-r-knicks-got-buried-in-game-5

The Knicks had it all planned out:

Bring black clothing to Game 5. Win the game, eliminate the Celtics and have a little fun afterward by wearing all black in the locker room to mimic a funeral.

Didn't exactly work out that way, though.

"We were going to a funeral," J.R. Smith said, "but it looks like we got buried."

And Smith helped the Knicks dig their own grave on Wednesday.

Coming off a Game 4 suspension, the Knicks' sixth man was a no-show against Boston in Game 5. He missed his first 10 shots and finished 3-for-14 with 14 points and two turnovers.

"It was a struggle for him pretty much the whole game," Mike Woodson said. "We got to get him in a position where hes not struggling like that. We need him to score the basketball for us."

The Knicks' reliance on Smith has burned them in the last two games.

Smith was suspended in Game 4 for hitting Jason Terry with an elbow to the face in Game 3.

Without their sixth man, the Knicks' offense stalled.

Carmelo Anthony missed a career-high 25 shots and the Knick bench produced just three points in an overtime loss.

On Wednesday, Smith hurt the Knicks again. Only this time, he was in uniform.

New York jumped out to an 11-0 lead on Boston before Mike Woodson summoned Smith off the bench.

He checked in with 6:38 to go in the quarter and proceeded to miss his first five shots. It was no coincidence that the Knicks trailed, 45-39, at the half.

One reason for Smith's shooting struggles?

Pre-game anxiety.

Smith said he was "extremely anxious" before hitting the floor.

"Coming into the game a lot of fans got me hyped," he said. "I really couldn't wait to play."

Some of those same fans were booing him off the floor when Smith missed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds to go and the Knicks down nine.

By then, it was clear that Smith and the Knicks would be heading to Boston for Game 6 instead of celebrating their first playoff series win since 2000. It was also clear that the Knicks wouldn't be attending any funerals.

"We'll take that. It's all a part of being humbled," Smith said. "Basketball is a very humbling game."

Smith was anything but humble the day before Game 5. He said that the series would have ended in a sweep had he played in Game 4 ("I'd have been playing golf today," he said). He also playfully claimed to not know who Jason Terry was.

But Terry made sure Smith knew his name on Wednesday.

The Celts' sixth man poured in 17 key points in Game 5, including a 3-pointer with three minutes to go to give the Celtics a 12-point lead.

"We can't take nothing away from them," Smith said. "They're a championship ball club."

That's something the Knicks aspire to be. But they've looked like anything but in the last two games.

"Nobody said it was gonna be easy, but now its a series," Woodson said.

Smith, to his credit, accepted full blame for the Knicks' last two losses.

"Yeah, without a doubt," he said. "From the absence of Game 4 ... and then [to] come out today, stink it up.

"I can't have a game like this," he added. "I can't have another one like this."

He's right. Because if he and the Knicks continue to struggle, they might have all summer to hit the golf course.

Who phucking does that? Wear all black clothes to mimic a funeral to make fun of a team you're supposed to "bury".

This series should be over by now, if it weren't selfish play on and off the court.

Where's the leadership? Kidd, Chandler, Camby, Sheed? It sure as hell ain't coming from Melo or JR....

the funeral comment was odd but, it is not rare or strange for players to wear black during the post season