2012 NBA standings: Knicks No. 1 in East after J.R. Smith's buzzer-beater

The New York Knicks are tops in the Eastern Conference - at least for about 24 hours - having pulled ahead of the Miami Heat with their fourth straight win.

That win came Wednesday night on the strength of a J.R. Smith jumper that gave the Knicks a 100-98 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. New York found themselves in a dogfight against the middling Bobcats, and without their star as Carmelo Anthony had to go to the locker room with a lacerated finger with under three minutes to go. But Smith, the much-maligned purported ballhog, got a crucial steal with under ten seconds left, then got the ball out of the timeout. He moved quickly, drilling an 18-footer to give his team another win heading into Thursday's matchup between the Knicks and Heat.

As for New York's newest team, they've hit a rough patch after a five-game win streak of their own. They had to match up against both NBA Finals squads from last year, falling in three days to both the Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder, both times finding themselves down by double digits against superior opponents, although they did almost come back from a 16-point deficit against the Thunder. They're two games behind the Knicks in the Atlantic Division.

Here's a look at the Eastern Conference standings after Wednesday night's action: