New York Knicks: 15 greatest individual performances of all-time

11. J.R. Smith sets a three-point record

The file on J.R. Smith has always been an interesting study. Equally capable of scorching nets and questionable decision making, many organizations have taken their own shot in trying to crack one of the more polarizing figures in the league.

From 2012 to 2015, the Knicks took a crack. It’s fair to say it went about as well as one would expect. Smith won NBA Sixth Man of the Year during the 2012-13 season, but also got in trouble with the league for untying opponents’ laces mid-game.

There were 20+ point nights and times where it’d be lucky if he just hit the rim. That’s the J.R. Experience though. New York had to know what it was signing up for.

By April 2014, the Knicks were well out of the playoff picture and didn’t really have much to play for heading into a nationally televised matchup with the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. However, that didn’t stop Smith from going full J.R. with a fire show for all who happened to be watching.

He hit 10 3-pointers — a franchise record — on a laughable 22 attempts, which set the record back then. This wasn’t the shoot-happy era the league finds itself in today. Guys shot 3’s, but in moderation.

On this day, moderation wasn’t in Smith’s vocabulary, as he continued to fire throughout the 42 minutes and 40 seconds he was on the court in what would ultimately be an 11-point defeat.

Performances like this antithesized who Smith is as a player, someone who was willing to take any shot and depending on the game, could fill it up with the best of them.