The Knicks' J.R. Smith and the Pacers' Lance Stephenson have a side plot in their on-court rivalry: Stephenson is dating Smith's ex girlfriend.

Both players were involved in several altercations when their teams met during the 2012-2013 regular season, and their team's rivalry was fueled by a matchup in the playoffs. In a game in Indiana on Feb. 20, Smith and Stephenson had to be separated just before halftime after the Knicks guard pushed Stephenson for trash-talking. Smith also threw an elbow at Stephenson during the game and was eventually ejected from the contest for arguing with the referee.

And roughly a month before that on Jan. 10, Smith took a cheap shot at the Pacers guard, shoving him out of bounds as they scrambled for a loose ball. Now that Stephenson is dating reality TV star K. Michelle, who was romantically linked to Smith in 2012, the animosity between both players has taken on a more salacious nature.

Michelle recently confirmed she was dating Stephenson during an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show on July 24, and she also posted photos of the Pacers guard with her on a vacation in Puerto Rico. Michelle allegedly dated Smith before the 27-year-old ended the relationship on Dec. 2012 in a very public forum--Twitter.

K Michelle Bikini PHOTOS With NBA Boyfriend Lance Stephenson

"Thats not my girl! im SINGEL! I don't care how u spell it! #NOWifey here," Smith tweeted.

Smith's comments on the social media site came as a surprise to many, because just a week before the tweet, photos were published of the alleged couple sharing a kiss at nightclub.

In one of Smith's tweets he also hinted that Michelle wasn't monogamous.

"Some of y'all want ya cake an eat it too! Lol I just want the #Cake. Sorry I ain't like most! When I'm with someone I'm with someone!" he wrote.

J.R. Smith Twitter: New York Knicks Guard Talks Knee Recovery And Indulges Females Fans

Stephenson has earned a reputation as a notorious trash-talker, and granted his history with Smith, the Pacers shooting guard now has a personal barb to hurl at his rival during their next meeting. Knicks and Pacers fans were already anticipating a matchup between their teams, since Indiana eliminated New York from the 2013 playoffs in six games. Now there's even more reason to circle the team's next matchup on their calendars, when the NBA releases the 2013-2014 schedule later this year.

Watch the altercations that transpired between Smith and Stephenson below.

Tags
New York Knicks, Love and hip hop, K Michelle