Former New York Knicks star JR Smith was knocked to the ground and trampled on amid chaotic celebrations after the team’s playoff win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a terrifying moment on Monday night, Smith, 40, was leaving Madison Square Garden when he got caught up in a wild sea of Knicks fans outside the arena.
The two-time NBA champion initially appeared to be lapping up the New York City atmosphere, which is always hectic after playoff games, before things quickly turned sour.
Footage circulating on social media shows Smith being mobbed by fans and then getting accidentally shoved to the ground, before they briefly appear to pile on top of him amid the madness.
He was heard telling the crowd to ‘relax’ after eventually being helped back to his feet following the scary ordeal.
Smith, who spent four years in New York as a player, was right in the thick of a Knicks mosh pit outside MSG, where the team cruised to a 137-98 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Former Knicks star JR Smith was knocked to the ground amid wild scenes outside MSG
Smith was at the Garden to watch the Knicks cruise to a playoff win over the Philadelphia 76ers
There will undoubtedly be similar scenes at the Garden if Mike Brown’s team go 2-0 up in the series on Wednesday night.
The Knicks are flexing their muscles as strong championship contenders in the playoffs, having destroyed the Atlanta Hawks in a historic Game 6 rout last week.
In that resounding 140-89 win, they racked up the largest halftime lead of all time in the postseason after heading in at the break 83-36 ahead.
And the Knicks picked up where they left off against the Sixers, who fought back from 3-1 down in their previous series with the Boston Celtics to reach the Eastern Conference semis.
Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half as the hosts emphatically added to a historic postseason roll by overwhelming Philly in Game 1.
The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points, continuing a wave that began midway through the first round against Atlanta by shooting 63 percent from the field and leading by 40 points.
‘We’re playing well, but it doesn´t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins,’ Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. ‘So, we’ve just got to stick to the task at hand.’
OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Mikal Bridges and Towns both had 17, with the latter adding six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes.
