J.R. Smith played against Pacers with swollen left knee: Report

Carmelo Anthony wasn't the only New York Knicks star playing through an injury during the playoffs. For those wondering why J.R. Smith continued to shoot jumpers during his postseason slump as opposed to driving to the hoop, the answer might be related to his left knee more than his late nights.

Marc Berman of the New York Post:

Not only did Carmelo Anthony play with what an MRI exam Wednesday revealed was a partial tear in his left shoulder, but The Post has learned J.R. Smith's nightmarish playoff performance was partly because of a swollen left knee that contained fluid buildup.
According to a league source, Smith likely will have his knee drained of the fluid in the next two weeks — the same procedure Anthony underwent in March. So Smith's struggles weren't only about his sharp elbow in the Celtics series, alleged hangover and viral infection.

Smith had been playing with a swollen knee toward the end of the regular season, but talk about the injury seemed to stop during the playoffs.

Funny how his knee seemed fine when he was chasing Rihanna around the Manhattan nightclub scene that week.