With the help of J.R. Smith's baseline jumper at the buzzer the New York Knicks edged past the Phoenix Suns 99-97.
Smith had two jumpers very late in the game, which proved instrumental in the Knicks' victory. The first 15-foot jumper went in with 10.6 seconds remaining in the game and the second one a 21-footer from the baseline, beat the buzzer to hand his team a victory.
"I don't know whatever words you want to use but he loves that moment," the Associated Press quoted Knicks guard Jason Kidd as saying. "I'm trying to figure out if that last shot was tougher than the one before that he took."
It was Kidd's inbound pass which led to Smith taking the game-winning jumper.
"It was premeditated," Smith said. "I was walking around the court going, 'You are going to make it, you are going to make it.'
"I was trying to get my form ready before I even thought about taking it. I was trying to go through my mechanics in my head, get my shoulders square to the basket and just let it fly."
Chris Copeland and Tyson Chandler scored 14 points apiece against the Suns.
For Phoenix, Jared Dudley scored a career-high 36 points, Marcin Gortat had 13 points and nine rebounds and Sebastian Telfair added 11 points.
Knicks' top scorer Carmelo Anthony was out because of a knee injury, whereas Raymond Felton, who had a finger injury, also could not play.
"We just have to go back and assess it and see where we are and go from there, but again, like I said, injuries occur," New York coach Mike Woodson said.
"Key guys get banged up here and there and we have enough guys on our team that guys just got to step up and play until guys get back. That's how it's got to be."
New York outscored the Suns 54-44 in the first half. The Knicks extended their lead to 68-54 in the second half, but Dudley shot a three-pointer to reduce New York's lead. Dudley hit another 3-point shot to tie the score at 72 with 2.10 left in the third quarter.
Then Shannon Brown's layup put the Suns ahead 74-72 with 1:23 remaining.
In the fourth quarter, the Knicks went on a 9-0 run to take a 95-90 lead with 3:34 remaining in the game. The Suns fought back, before Smith came to Knicks' rescue in the final seconds.
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