Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

J.R. Smith on exchange with Cam Newton: 'All fun and games'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Perhaps it was an inspired performance, perhaps it was just plain old showmanship, but J.R. Smith certainly noticed Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sitting courtside in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 95-90 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Smith made the QB part of his act during the Cavs' fourth-quarter comeback.

Shortly after Newton was shown on the center-court video screen at Time Warner Cable Arena doing the Atlanta-based "dab" dance that he has adopted as one of his on-field celebrations this season, Smith hit a 3-pointer with 3:04 remaining to put Cleveland up 92-88. Smith's celebration? A "dab" of his own, of course.

Smith wasn't done mimicking Newton, either. After he hit two free throws with 12.9 seconds left to double Cleveland's cushion and bring the score to 94-90, Smith broke out Newton's "Superman" celebration, pullingĀ his fists across his chest in the same fashion Clark Kent tears open his button-down shirt to reveal his "S" emblem underneath.

“I watch him a lot now, so my impression is getting better,” Smith said of Newton, who beat his favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, on Thanksgiving to give the Panthers an 11-0 record.

Smith said he only knows Newton "a little bit," from running into him in the offseason, but he was very complimentary of the Carolina star.

“It’s all fun and games," Smith said. "He’s a great dude and a hell of a player. Hopefully he will win MVP this year.”

Smith scored seven of the Cavs' final eight points (and seven of his 11 total points) in the fourth quarter. As much as Newton might have spurred him on, Smith's run actually started when he was guarded by Charlotte's rookie big man Frank Kaminsky in an isolation situation midway through the fourth. Smith used a spin dribble to create separation on the baseline and made an 18-foot step-back jumper over Kaminsky to put the Cavs up by three with 5:31 remaining. What was going through his mind?

“'Barbecue chicken' like Shaq says," Smith said, referring to a joke often used by Shaquille O'Neal on TNT telecasts. "When you get a big guy on you, a lot of people like to go to the mismatch in the post. For me, I take it personally.”

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