J.R. Smith Nearly Trampled By Rowdy Knicks Fans At MSG

NBA fans were looking forward to the age-old East Coast sports beef between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics, but the second-round matchup between the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers is giving the same energy.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals is in the book, and the Knicks tapped into home-court advantage to blow out the 76ers, 137-98.

But Knicks fans are known to be rowdy after a win and mob around Madison Square Garden to celebrate, and last night they almost took out J.R. Smith, who was initially cheering in solidarity. 

Smith was trying to leave MSG when the roaring crowd began knocking him around.

“Relax, man, relax,” he said, trying to calm them down.

But even his 6-foot-6, 220 frame wasn’t enough to keep him upright as he fell to the ground. Fans did, however, yank him back up in what could have been a scary trampling scene.

Impressively, Smith never lost the joint in his hand, but maybe he’ll think twice before he decides to celebrate in a very boots-on-the-ground way with Knicks fans.

The steamrolling was led by team captain Jalen Brunson, who set the tone with a 14-point first-quarter performance and finished with 35 points. He was followed by a team effort from OG Anunoby, who scored 18 on 7-for-8. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges followed behind with 17 points each. 

The Knicks made history as the first team to win three consecutive NBA playoff games by 25 points or more, and they look to continue the trend come Game 2 on Wednesday.

This isn’t the first time Knicks fans have gone overboard; just last year, ahead of the highly competitive Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, they harassed and threw a trash bag at a New York firefighter wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey. 

See social media’s reaction to the game and the J.R. Smith melee below.