J.R. Smith won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award on Monday after turning a role he didn't want into one of the strengths of the New York Knicks' first division championship team in nearly two decades.

Smith received 484 points, including 72 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 writers and broadcasters. The Clippers' Jamal Crawford finished second with 352 points, getting 31 first-place votes.

Smith played for the CBA's Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the 2011-12 season.

Smith averaged 18.1 points in 80 games, all off the bench. He had 29 games in which he scored 20 points as a reserve, tying Crawford for the NBA lead.

The 1.98-meter swingman wanted to start, but said he accepted it fairly quickly once coach Mike Woodson told him he would be a reserve.

The New Jersey native had his best NBA season, helping the Knicks to their first Atlantic Division title since 1994.

"I just wanted to show everybody that I could be a team guy and it's all about the team," Smith said.

Associated Press

(China Daily 04/24/2013 page23)