INDIANAPOLIS -- If you're looking for someone to blame for the New York Knicks' 3-1 series deficit to the Indiana Pacers, J.R. Smith has a suggestion for you: start with him.

"I take the blame for this whole series," Smith said after shooting 7-for-22 in the Knicks' Game 4 loss. "It started off with Game 4 in Boston or Game 5. I haven't been playing myself. I haven't been playing my part. I've been letting my teammates down. I've been letting my coaches down."

Smith has struggled against the Pacers, shooting 18-for-64 in the series (28 percent).

"I have to play more efficient," Smith said. "... It's unacceptable."

Smith has played through an illness that resulted in a 102-degree fever on Saturday. But he did not use that as an excuse for his poor play.

"I don't make excuses," he said. "I got to be able to step up and do what I do."

On Wednesday, coach Mike Woodson said it wasn't the job of Smith or any of the team's other players to shoulder the blame, but rather the coach's.

"Blame it on me," Woodson said Wednesday at practice. "The bottom line is: we're all trying to do the right things to win basketball games, and if we don't have the slippage in the first game to start this series, we're feeling pretty good about ourselves. But right now, our backs are against the wall, and my job is to get us out of this hole."

The Knicks have relied on Smith as their secondary scorer behind Carmelo Anthony all season, but he has been shaky for most of the playoffs.

In nine games, Smith is averaging 14.3 points per game on 33.6 percent shooting. He has made just 15 of his 53 3-point attempts (28 percent).

Smith's struggles seem to have started in Game 5 of the Knicks-Celtics series.

He served a one-game suspension in Game 4 of the series for elbowing Boston's Jason Terry in the face in Game 3.

"I haven't shot the ball well since," Smith said.

Since the suspension, Smith is 29-for-91 (28.5 percent). He has missed 27 of his 37 attempts from beyond the arc.

The Knicks are 2-4 in those games. Prior to the suspension, Smith was averaging 16 points on 43 percent shooting in three games. The Knicks had won all three of those games.