"Ken Smith" - Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal troll Kenny Smith as New York Knicks stare at playoff exit

The New York Knicks are causing problems for Kenny Smith on Inside the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson gave Smith a tough time, as his Knicks are on the brink of elimination against the Miami Heat.

Johnson introduced the crew during their half-time coverage of the Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns Game 5 matchup. He called O'Neal and Barkley with their full names but called Smith "Ken Smith" without they "n-y."

Shaq explained why they will start calling him Ken instead of Kenny:

"You don't get the N-Y back until the Knicks win."

Barkley laughed and followed it up with:

"It's gonna be fun working with you, Ken Smith."

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Shaq: "You don't get the N-Y back until the Knicks win."
Chuck: "It's gonna be fun working with you, Ken Smith."

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Shaq: "You don't get the N-Y back until the Knicks win."
Chuck: "It's gonna be fun working with you, Ken Smith." 💀 https://t.co/h96m59JKCk

Kenny Smith was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, so he's rooting for the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the Miami Heat. However, the Heat have taken control of the series after their 109-101 win on Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead.

Miami blew the Knicks out in Game 3 and limited New York's offense on Monday. They have turned up their defense, led by Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Coach Erik Spoelstra has also done a masterful job making adjustments every game to get ahead of the Knicks.

Butler was sensational in Game 4 with 27 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Bam Adebayo added a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. However, it's the contributions across their roster that have taken them to within one win of the Eastern Conference finals as the No. 8 seed.

Players like Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin and Max Strus have been huge for the Heat. Tyler Herro's absence has been well compensated, while veterans Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love understand their role. It's amazing to see how Miami has made it look so easy in this year's postseason.

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New York Knicks one loss away from elimination

Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks

Some New York Knicks fans expected their team to at least put up a fight against the Miami Heat and make their way to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1999. However, the Heat have made things tough for New York, as they took a 3-1 lead heading into Game 5.

Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett are doing everything they can for the Knicks. Role players like Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin will need to do more to help the Knicks survive for at least one more game.

Immanuel Quickley's absence in Game 4 certainly didn't help. He's receiving treatment for a sprained ankle, so it remains to be seen if he'll be available for Wednesday's game.

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