The Knicks almost rallied for a hard-fought road win, but in the end they came up short as the Pacers ended the series with a 106-99 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Carmelo Anthony was brilliant for most of the game, scoring a game-high 39 points on 15-of-29 shooting, but struggled down the stretch. He went 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter for four points and had a couple of key turnovers — not to mention a momentum-swinging dunk blocked by Roy Hibbert at the rim that sent a charge throughout Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Total blame shouldn’t be placed at the feet of the league’s leading scorer and MVP finalist, however, because he was the Knicks’ best offensive option all night. New York got nothing from starters Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler. Felton, who struggled all series, only had two points (0-of-7 shooting) and six assists, while the 7-foot-1 Chandler mustered even less with two points, six rebounds and zero blocks. The 6-foot-7 Anthony, conversely, had seven rebounds from the forward position.

If not for the saving graces of their bench, namely J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland, the Knicks would’ve been run out of the arena. Smith didn’t shoot particularly well (4-of-15) in scoring 15 points, but he had a team-high 10 rebounds. Copeland, who critics may say head coach Mike Woodson waited far too long to insert into the regular rotation, added a solid nine points (all on 3-pointers in the pivotal third quarter) in 15 minutes.

Indiana was led by Lance Stephenson’s team-high 25 points, as every Pacers starter scored in double figures. Indiana didn’t even need a bench, as it combined for just eight points, because the starters combined for 98 points and 37 rebounds. The Knicks’ starters, conversely, combined for 68 points and 19 rebounds — certainly something that will need to be addressed in what has now turned into an earlier-than-expected summer vacation.

What we saw …

1. Hibbert changed the complexion of this entire round with his aggressive play from the onset of this series. Hibbert was a beast on the blocks as he tallied 21 points, 12 rebounds and a game-high five blocks, as he eviscerated fellow the All-Star Chandler all series.

2. Chandler fouled out with 3:12 remaining in the game, but it was as if he was nowhere to be found anyway. Chandler, who struggled all series with Hibbert because he had at least a one-inch and 40-pound disadvantage, only gave the Knicks 37 points (6.2 per game), 36 rebounds (6.0 per game) and 10 blocks (1.7 per game) in the whole series.

3. Stephenson was the ultimate X-factor as he notched a career-high 25 points, including 16 in the first half and a handful of key buckets late to send the Knicks packing. Stephenson, a Brooklyn native, certainly didn’t want to make the trip back to New York for a Game 7, as he tortured whatever Knicks defender in his way. Stephenson also added 10 rebounds from the shooting guard position to close out what was a promising season for his hometown team.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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It wasn’t always pretty, but the Knicks found a way to stave off elimination and push the series back to Indiana, as they held off the Pacers, 85-75, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks enjoyed some good news pregame, as Pacers starting point guard George Hill was ruled out with a concussion he suffered in Game 4 when he crashed into a hard pick from Tyson Chandler. Hill was replaced in the lineup by D.J. Augustin, who had 12 points, but the Pacers offense sorely missed their floor leader.

Carmelo Anthony had a brilliant game as he tallied 28 points on 12-of-28 shooting and six rebounds. Anthony had perhaps his best all-around game as he got his hands on loose balls, battling rugged power forward David West (17 points and 10 rebounds) to a standstill in the post and scoring late in the fourth quarter — something he’s failed to do in the previous two games.

Anthony wasn’t alone, however, as Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith and even Chris Copeland picked up the slack when the Pacers defenders were paying too much attention to the league’s leading scorer.

Copeland, who was inexplicably left on the bench most of the series prior to tonight, scored 13 points — including eight in the pivotal third quarter when he helped the Knicks boost a six-point halftime lead to its largest margin of 10 points.

“It is a blessing. I’m extremely excited that I had some impact on the game. I hope I can do it again next game,” Copeland said. “I think I can help us spread the floor and get guys away from the basket. I think I can help Melo get opportunities on the block and space for J.R.”

Woodson, who never really gave a reason for burying Copeland on the bench, despite the team’s offensive struggles in all of their three losses, was impressed with the 29-year-old rookie’s ability to stay ready.

“It was a big lift throughout the whole game,” Woodson said, never really mentioning Copeland by name. “Our offense has spurted at times, but tonight we found our offense. We changed some things a little bit tonight … and tried to change some of our sets to see if it worked.”

The insertion of Copeland worked even if Woodson refused to acknowledge the rookie’s impact.

Smith also finally shook his series-long doldrums to contribute 13 points. Smith shot 4-of-11, as the controversial shooting guard finally lived up to his Sixth Man of the Year status for the first time all series. Smith also added six rebounds and a blocked shot.

The fact that the Knicks were so active in the paint was arguably the biggest difference. The Pacers dominated the interior in each of the previous three wins in the series, but seemed out of sorts Thursday night.

All-Star center Roy Hibbert was finally a nonfactor as he was essentially cancelled out by the Knicks’ own All-Star center, Tyson Chandler. Both bigs were hindered by foul problem for most of the game, but the Knicks will take that every time. Hibbert finished with just nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Chandler had two points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Chandler wasn’t much of factor again, but his teammates picked up the slack as they collectively defended the paint and attacked the glass. The Knicks had been pounded on the boards all series by the bigger and younger Pacers, but they finally held their own. The Pacers still won the rebounding battle, 43-40, but the Knicks didn’t allow them to dictate the play in the paint. The Pacers held only a slight advantage on the offensive boards, 12-10, which meant New York limited the second-chance points that harmed them most of the series.

“It was the second-chance points [that hurt the Knicks in the three losses]. We got outrebounded badly and that was the difference then,” Woodson said. “We were outrebounded tonight, but we had enough going for us defensively, as well as our offense, that it didn’t hurt us. … We have to have the same commitment when we step out on the floor at Conseco [now Bankers Life] Fieldhouse on Saturday.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks have defied the odds for most of the season. They fielded one of the oldest teams in league history — not to mention one of the smallest.

It looks like those factors have caught up to them in a 93-82 loss to the younger and bigger Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Perhaps the Knicks can draw inspiration from their hockey brethren, the Rangers, and fight back from a 3-1 series deficit, but it doesn’t look good. Forget that center Tyson Chandler and forward Carmelo Anthony seemingly had a disconnect following their Game 3 loss, because it appears not even a cohesive Knicks squad can hang with a Pacers’ team that has outhustled, overpowered and outexecuted them.

Anthony finished with 24 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter, but it was nowhere near enough, as he got next to nothing from his supporting cast. Raymond Felton had 14 points and Chandler had a respectable 12 points and 10 rebounds, but the Pacers had four starters in double figures.

What we saw …

1. Knicks head coach Mike Woodson started a bigger lineup in Game 4 by going with Kenyon Martin at power forward and Carmelo Anthony back at his customary small forward position. It didn’t help matters much, as the Pacers still hammered the Knicks on the glass, 54-36. Paul George led the way for Indiana as he grabbed a game-high 14 boards from the small forward position.

2. Tyson Chandler wasn’t totally overmatched in going against Roy Hibbert like in the previous two losses, but he still didn’t fare much better. Statistically, the numbers evened themselves out some, as Chandler recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, while a foul-plagued Hibbert only had six points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.

3. Who knows if Anthony was indirectly criticized by Chandler following the Game 3 loss, but it should be noted that without Anthony’s brilliant scoring, Game 4 would’ve been a far worse defeat. Other than Felton’s buckets, the Knicks got very little else on the offensive end from anyone else. J.R. Smith had 19 points, but it was perhaps the most ineffective 19 points anyone could score. Smith shot 7-of-22, including 3-of-10 from behind the arc, as his shooting slump has continued at the most inopportune moments

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks have been undersized and outmanned in the frontcourt all season, but were able to get away with it. It came back to bite them Saturday night in a disappointing, 82-71, loss to the Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Center Tyson Chandler was an All-Star reserve this season, but played like anything but as fellow All-Star pivot Roy Hibbert dominated the matchup. Hibbert, a 7-foot-2 wall that anchors the Pacers’ interior, had a game-high 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Chandler could only muster nine points, five rebounds and three blocks.

The Knicks were never really in synch, as they trailed almost wire-to-wire and never got their offense going. The dysfunction was evident almost immediately, as New York had more turnovers (eight) by the 4:50 mark of the second quarter than they did all of last game (seven). They ultimately finished with 15 turnovers, something they’ll need to shore up before Tuesday’s Game 4 as they’re not equipped to play as sloppy as they did against the defensive-minded Pacers.

New York now trails the series, 2-1, and is starting to look like a team that’s feeling the pressure – particularly on the offensive end. The Knicks have yet to really duplicate their regular-season success against a Pacers defense that is amongst the stingiest in the league. If not for Carmelo Anthony’s team-high 21 points, the outcome would’ve been much worse for a Knicks squad which has failed to give Anthony a dependable No. 2 option on offense.

J.R. Smith, Anthony’s sidekick for most of the season, has vanished this series. He hasn’t been the same explosive and reliable scorer since the elbowing incident toward the end of Game 3 in Boston in the first round. The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year only gave the Knicks nine points on 4-of-12 shooting in 25 uninspired minutes. Perhaps Smith could be excused for his less than stellar Game 3, as he was suffering from high fever and illness prior to shootaround.

He’ll need to rebound quickly, preferably by Game 4 in Indianapolis, or the Knicks will face the real possibility of going back to New York down 3-1 in the series.

What we saw …

1. The Knicks inexplicably shot poorly from behind the arc, as they went 3-of-11, and were so out of sorts that by the start of the fourth quarter they had only hoisted seven 3-pointers. Nobody in orange and blue had it going from long range, as no one made more than two 3-pointers.

2. The Pacers came into the series with a significant advantage in size and frontcourt depth, but really took advantage of it in Game 3. Indiana began the game shooting a horrid .319 percent from the field, but still held a halftime lead in large part due to a collective crashing of the boards. The Pacers held a 31-20 rebounding advantage in the first half, including 13 offensive boards, en route to a 53-40 lead on the glass (18 on the offensive end). The Pacers were paced by 12 rebounds apiece from Hibbert and power forward David West. Paul George added eight boards from the small forward position.

3. George didn’t have a great offensive game – no one did, really – but he made sure to leave an imprint elsewhere, as he added eight rebounds, eight assists and a game-high five steals. The league’s Most Improved Player finished with 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting, including a paltry 2-of-12 from behind the arc, but did what no Knick was able to do – find a way to contribute without having an impactful game on the offensive end.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks went through a light walkthrough session on Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s Game 3 in Indiana. It could be the key off-day of this mini break as it allowed struggling shooting guard J.R. Smith to work on his shot in the comfortable confines of the Knicks’ facilities — far away from the white-hot lights of a raucous NBA arena.

Smith, the mercurial Sixth Man of the Year, hasn’t been the same dynamic player since he elbowed Celtics guard Jason Terry toward the end of Game 3.

But since the Knicks were able to close out the Celtics in six games in the last round and they demolished the Pacers in Game 2 this round — sans an effective Smith — the public outcry against the reserve guard has been negligible.

Smith, who has made it a habit of not making himself available to the media after practice since the elbowing incident, declined to talk again on Thursday, so there’s no telling if his slump is truly getting to him. But according to his teammates and head coach Mike Woodson, all is well in the mindset of the team’s second-leading scorer.

“Shooters go through it so he’s just got to think every time he pulls up to shoot or goes to the rim that it’s going to go in. You can’t back away from it,” Woodson said. “We’ve all gone through it as players. I’ve got faith and believe in J.R., and when he does break through it he’ll be back to J.R. again and that’ll help us even more.”

Woodson added, however, that even if Smith endures yet another horrific shooting night the Knicks have enough depth to weather the rocky times.

“Being a team, everybody is not going to have it every night, and I’ve been saying that since we started this playoff run. But we have other guys who can score,” Woodson said, adding that even if Smith’s shot is temporarily missing he still needs to find a way to contribute. “Some nights it might not be your night, but you’ve still got to do something to help us, or you won’t be playing. Maybe it’s on defense, or coming up with loose balls, taking charges or rebounding the basketball. … That’s how we’ve been all season.”

Carmelo Anthony, who has the perfect mental makeup to play in New York since he’s never too high and never too low, said he, too, has faith in Smith breaking his slump because he believes it’s all in a guy’s head.

“I don’t think he’ll be in a so-called slump for much longer. The only way you get out of a slump is if you put in work in the gym, and he’s been doing that,” Anthony said. “We just need him to be J.R. again [by] having fun and being positive on the court. I tell him to just play ball — relax and play ball. There’s no pressure to try and go out there and make something happen. Just let the game come to you. … I told him to just stay mentally strong. He says he’s in a slump, but I don’t believe that because I’m always trying to stay positive with him. We need J.R. to be aggressive and play his game the same way he’s been doing all season long.”

Smith’s life away from the floor has been scrutinized all season, but since his play never suffered his off-court antics were never seen as a detriment. But now that he’s in a slump, critics are saying those same postgame outings and his fascination with social media are what’s keeping him from turning around his fortunes.

Anthony wanted no part in that topic, but disputed that Smith’s persona off the floor is what’s affecting his shooting percentage.

“I don’t want to speak on that [off-court life], but to me he’s focused. When he’s here, he’s here, and whatever he does in his spare time, he does in his spare time,” Anthony said. “My thing for J.R. is to remain positive, regardless of what’s being said about him. I tell him if you don’t have a positive attitude throughout these situations it makes everything tougher.”

Knicks notes …

» Amar’e Stoudemire worked out again on Thursday and said he’s looking forward to making his postseason debut in Game 3. Stoudemire, who participated in the team’s walkthrough session by running with the second unit, noted he’s brimming with anticipation and thinks he can make an impact and carry out whatever role Woodson wants from him.

“I expect to just contribute the best way I can. I don’t have time to get in rhythm, so I just have to be ready from the start and that’s the way it has to be,” Stoudemire said. “I’ve been in the playoffs my entire career, so I know what it takes to be ready for the postseason and hopefully I’ll be ready for Game 3. … Any time you’re on the floor you have a chance to make an impact on the game. However much time coach puts me on the floor, I’ll be ready to contribute.”

» Stoudemire, who will have a recovery day on Friday, also said he doesn’t think conditioning — or lack thereof — will adversely affect him because his minutes will be monitored.

“I’m not playing 40 minutes a night, so as far as my conditioning is now it’s in great shape in regards to the amount I’m going to play. Now, if I was playing 40 minutes a night, then I’d need more time to get in shape, but as of right now I feel great. … It’s a matter of will. I can play whatever minutes the coaching staff wants me to play. Every day I’ll continue to get in better shape and play however long coach wants me to.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks staved off what would’ve been a near-impossible mountain to climb by avoiding an 0-2 deficit, as they took care of business with a 105-79 win over the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

New York acted as if they were the more desperate team from the start, as they jumped out to a nine-point lead after the first quarter.

Anthony finished with a game-high 32 points on 13-of-26 shooting, and added nine rebounds and two steals, as he was just as active on the defensive end as he was as on offense. It was a good sign for Anthony, who had been suffering from a sore left shoulder and shooting slump in the previous five games.

Head coach Mike Woodson said Anthony never complained about the shoulder and was impressed with the activity Anthony had on both ends of the floor, which was contagious throughout the team.

“Melo never complains much about anything,” Woodson said. “But again what I liked was the pace in the fourth quarter, offensively. It was like old times again where the ball was moving and the pick-and-roll was sharp. … It was the best [team] offensive display we have had [in the playoffs].”

The Knicks collectively got their shot back, as they shot 49.5 percent from the floor. And while their 3-point struggles continued (33.3 percent, including missing 12-of-13 at one point), they still managed to get great open looks — meaning all they need to do is actually knock down those open shots.

Woodson didn’t sound too concerned about the long-range shot, because the way the defense has played all postseason, the Knicks will be just fine if they can knock down enough 2-point shots while stifling the other team’s offense.

“Our defense was solid. And tonight’s [offensive] display … if you add defense to that, we’ll be fine,” said Woodson. “They didn’t score over 80 points for us. That is solid.”

The Pacers got some offense from their star Paul George, as he notched 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting — a far better performance than his Game 1 tally. But the All-Star forward committed a game-high seven turnovers. The Knicks, conversely, had seven as a team.

One of the big keys to the win, allowed Woodson, was the play of the unsung teammates.

“I didn’t forget Game 6 in Boston,” said Woodson, when asked about reserve guard Pablo Prigioni’s impact. “Pablo was big on that game and this was a big game for our ball club tonight that we had to win. We didn’t want to go to Indianapolis down two, so I had flashbacks of Boston. I went with him and he came up big.”

Prigioni was indeed the most influential unsung player as it was his 3-pointer that started an epic 30-2 run. The 35-year-old rookie tallied eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter to pick up the slack for a yet-again slumping Smith (eight points on 3-of-15 shooting). Up until Prigioni’s first 3-pointer, the Knicks had missed 12 of their previous 13 attempts from behind the arc, but it was his long-range shot that changed the complexion of the game. Pacers point guard George Hill had canned his own 3-pointer to give the Pacers a rare lead, 64-26, with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter.

“I played in the playoffs and important games on different levels, overseas and Olympics. It is different but it helped me and gave me experience to play in different games,” said Prigioni. “But it was amazing for me [to hear the chanting] and I am really happy. You can’t believe how happy I am because the team played well. … But for me it is only about the team.”

The Pacers’ offensive ineptness as a team was on full display during that stretch as they went 12 minutes without scoring a field goal, including 0-of-2 from inside the paint in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks, conversely, got hot and stayed that way until the final buzzer — even when Anthony sat for good with 4:55 remaining.

Prigioni wasn’t the only player to come from Anthony’s shadow and shine, as Iman Shumpert and even a scoreless Jason Kidd had large imprints on the win. Shumpert came to life with 11 of his 15 points in the first half, while Kidd’s impact was more subtle. He tallied four rebounds and two steals and was seemingly everywhere, getting his hands on loose balls and making the “hockey assist” to lead to easier buckets.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks bounce back with impressive win in Game 2 appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks insist there’s no need to push the panic button after one game, even one as physically draining and demoralizing as Game 1.

Carmelo Anthony said the team isn’t looking at the opening game of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the Pacers as an omen, because everything that went wrong is correctable.

“I don’t want to jump the gun. It was just one game and they outworked us. But I don’t think it’ll happen again,” Anthony said. “We looked at the film and there was nothing that they really did as far as Xs and Os and execution. They just outworked us, and that won’t happen again.”

Anthony gave the rugged Pacers defense credit as they forced him to shoot 10-of-28, and also hammered the Knicks on the boards, 44-30. But he added the adjustments needed to counter those factors aren’t exactly rocket science.

“They’re a tough team and they attack the offensive glass, and they were getting a lot of long rebounds,” Anthony said. “On the offensive end, we have to make shots, because if we don’t make shots, they rebound well and it spreads the margin of rebounding out to make it look like it did yesterday. … But for the most part, everything came down to effort, with [head coach Mike Woodson] saying we didn’t have the effort and those guys did. But in our mind we cannot get outworked like we did yesterday, and that should be the main adjustment for Game 2.”

Making more shots always seems like Anthony’s answer for most of the Knicks’ ills, but he has a point considering the Knicks only shot 43 percent in Game 1 and were still in a two-possession game in the final minute. Had J.R. Smith nailed a 3-pointer during that span, the Knicks would’ve stolen a game they had no business winning.

But Anthony insisted that if the offense gets going, they can diminish the Pacers’ rebounding advantage and play a style of game Indiana — a limited offensive team — wouldn’t feel comfortable playing.

Woodson refused to blame the offense — or Anthony’s and Smith’s sometimes suspect shot selection.

“The second-chance buckets hurt us because we were out of position at times. The ball was bouncing long and they were coming up with it, and we were nowhere to be found,” Woodson said. “But that’s all correctable and must be cleaned up by tomorrow when we step back on the floor.”

Woodson did relent a little, however, and hinted that perhaps his two best offensive players should try to score in other ways to break out of their shooting slumps.

“It helps to get to the free-throw line some and continue to shoot in practice. And when they’re taking shots, they have to take better shots at times. Sometimes those difficult shots that you’re accustomed at making that you’re now not making you have to find a way at getting better shots. I think they can do that, but only time will tell,” said Woodson. “But I don’t blame it all on bad shots. We had our chances. It was our defensive lapses and we kind of took a step back yesterday.”

One adjustment Woodson said he won’t make is starting a more traditional lineup to combat the physical Pacers. Kenyon Martin said following the Game 1 loss that perhaps the Knicks should start a traditional power forward and move Anthony back to his customary small forward position.

Woodson said the thought has never even crossed his mind.

“Not right now, because it’s too early in the series [to panic and make changes]. We were right there. [The loss] had nothing to do with who started at the four [power forward] or five [center],” Woodson said. “Melo has played big guys all year, and the last I checked we’ve been pretty good playing this way with Melo at the four. I don’t see any reason to change that right now.”

“I think K-Mart is coming from a concerned teammate who’s trying to keep me from getting beat up so much, but we’ve been dealing with the same thing all year,” Anthony said. “We looked at the film and all the foul trouble, but I don’t think that [playing power forward] is the cause of things. They just outworked us yesterday. We’ve done all we did this year with me at the four, so I don’t think we need to change that right now. Everything just gets magnified when you don’t make shots. … We’ll redeem ourselves tomorrow. We’ll be a better team tomorrow.”

Knicks notes …

» Amar’e Stoudemire worked out Monday and had a couple of strenuous, full-court 3-on-3 games. The power forward’s offensive game looked just as refined as it did pre-injury, although his conditioning was lacking — which was to be expected. Stoudemire said he’s “still on track” for a Game 3 appearance, barring any setbacks from today’s workouts.

“It feels good to finally be on the court and getting competition. I had a really tough day out there, but it felt good. We have to see how it reacts tomorrow. Obviously when you recover from an injury it takes time to see how it reacts. I’ll have a recovery day tomorrow and then if it feels great, we’ll have another practice the day after that and see if it keeps improving. … It’s all about perseverance and looking past the illusion of injury, and looking forward to the spirit of recovery. Cardio is key. I just want to get in better shape, and I will. And once it gets to where I want it, and my health feels great, I’ll get back out there. … There’s no fear [about re-injury]. Fear is ‘False Evidence Ain’t Real’ and I have no fear at all. … Playing basketball is a natural ability. I was born with it. So, it’s not going anywhere. It’s like riding a bike. Once you learn to play, it never goes away. It’s just a matter of getting in top shape and working on certain skills, and staying sharp and crisp. That takes time.”

Stoudemire added that when he returns, all he can do is play hard and not worry about playing time or role, but added he will definitely try to help on the blocks: “Stay tuned. I have no control over my impact. All I can do is play extremely hard and just display my talents on both ends of the court. … [The low-post emphasis] will still be the same, but I’m just here to do whatever the coaching staff needs me to do. I’ve been saying that all year and that won’t change.”

» Steve Novak (back) worked out on the side and mainly shot jumpers. Woodson said he looked good but doubts Novak will be able to play in Game 2: “I don’t know if he’ll play tomorrow. It was his first day back on the floor. We’ll have to wait to see how he feels after today.”

» Anthony acknowledged his left shoulder is sore and probably won’t get much better banging with the likes of David West and Tyler Hansbrough, but said overall it hasn’t been a hindrance to his shot: “My shoulder is all right. Ray [Felton] and K-Mart are coming from a concerned teammate, but I’m fine. I’ve been beat up all season long, so I can’t worry about that. It’s the playoffs.”

Anthony also wouldn’t take the bait and complain about the officials: “Those guys officiated the game to the best of their ability. But in my mindset I’ll still attack. That’s my goal. … I have to [attack the basket]. That’s what I’ve been doing all season. … [But] I don’t know, I guess I have to earn my respect [with officials]. It gets frustrating sometimes out there but I try not to let the negativity sink in. I’m just playing. I’ll keep attacking and that’s not going to change. They call it if they do, and if not, so be it.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks finally vanquished their longtime nemesis, the Celtics, but their reward was the even younger, larger and faster Pacers.

The Pacers showed the Knicks they’re likely going to be an even bigger threat than Boston, as they drew first blood with a convincing 102-95 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“They just flat out played harder than we did today,” said Carmelo Anthony. “That was the key in their victory.”

Anthony hasn’t been effective in over a week during these playoffs. He’s gone 35-of-130 (26.9 percent) from the field, including a paltry 2-of-22 from behind the arc, in the last four games.

The Pacers used a balanced attack as all five starters reached double digits in scoring, led by David West’s 20 points. Lance Stephenson also had a big game as the Brooklyn native felt right at home in the Garden as he notched 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. The fact that Stephenson had so many rebounds from the shooting guard position showed that the Knicks will be vastly undermanned on the glass all series.

The Knicks got very little from shooting guard J.R. Smith, as he could only muster 17 points (4-of-15). Raymond Felton was solid all game, scoring 18 points, and Carmelo Anthony warmed up late and finished with 27 points (10-of-28 shooting), but New York got very little else from a supporting cast that was sans sharpshooter Steve Novak (back).

Head coach Mike Woodson specifically called out center Tyson Chandler, who was vastly outplayed by the Pacers’ Roy Hibbert. Chandler fouled out at the 2:36 mark of the fourth quarter, but he was essentially nonexistent all afternoon anyway. The 7-foot-1 pivot was lost in the even bigger shadow of the 7-foot-2 Hibbert, as he could only muster four points and three rebounds before bowing out of the game.

“I thought they played harder than our team tonight, that’s the difference,” said Woodson, quickly turning to Chandler’s ineffectiveness. “I thought Hibbert played better [than Tyson Chandler] tonight, too.”

Indiana should take great confidence heading into Tuesday’s Game 2 knowing their best offensive option and the recipient of the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award, George, only had 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting. But as most star players do, George found a way to help his team in other ways by adding five rebounds and four assists, while staying aggressive in getting to the foul line eight times and making seven.

“Obviously we’re upset losing at home, losing that first game, but at the same time we still got six games left,” said Felton, who hinted the Pacers were allowed to be the far more aggressive and physical team by the referees. “They’re being really physical with Melo. They’re banging him, they’re hitting him and they’re going at his shoulder.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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It took a near record-setting collapse in the fourth quarter to wake them up, but the Knicks finally exorcised their playoff demons by eliminating the Celtics with an 88-80 win in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The near botching by the Knicks was apropos considering nothing came easy for the team this series, not even when they built a seemingly comfortable 3-0 series lead. But in the end, New York did just enough to hold off the hard-charging Celtics. Boston was down by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter, but Jeff Green and Avery Bradley did a number on the Knicks’ defense, cutting the deficit to as low as four points.

Green finished with 21 points, but it was Bradley’s ascension that was the most troubling. He scored all of his 10 points in the final stanza after being shut out by Pablo Prigioni for the first three quarters.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson acknowledged it wasn’t easy, and the huge run caused some angst, but ultimately all that mattered was his veteran team found a way to overcome the Celtics.

“I’m looking at the big picture. It was a helluva series, and I hope our guys learned a lot from this series, [like] it’s never over ‘til it’s over. We were tested, and we needed that, so hopefully it will carry into the second round against the Pacers,” said Woodson. “They hung in there. With playoff basketball, there are always runs. They’re a great team and made a great run. But we just hung in there. … [Carmelo Anthony] came up big with that big 3-pointer and Iman [Shumpert] made the big steal. They were probably the two biggest plays of the game to give us the cushion.”

The Knicks finally shut the door on the Celtics, as Boston’s comeback attempt fell just short. Anthony had a huge 3-pointer with just over 90 seconds remaining and J.R. Smith had a momentum-killing and-1 bucket and free throw to salt away the game. Anthony finished with 21 points, while Smith added 13 points and seven rebounds.

But the Knicks’ tone was initially set by Prigioni, who had nine points in the first half — all in the opening quarter, and all on 3-pointers. The 35-year-old rookie guard set a career-high by tallying 14 points. He added five rebounds and three assists.

“Guys stayed aggressive. Melo and I always stay aggressive, [but] Ray [Felton], Shump and Pablo stayed aggressive,” Smith said. “Fortunately we had players that stepped up. It was a good test. And Pablo stepped up. He definitely needed to shoot when he was open [because] too many times he’s open and he doesn’t shoot the ball, but this time he shot.”

Prigioni wasn’t the only unsung hero, as his backcourt mate Felton had 11 points, seven assists and two steals. It’s the first time Felton has advanced to the second round. Shumpert, who also advanced to the second round for the first time in his young career, added 17 points (3-of-3 on 3-pointers), six rebounds and three steals — and added a key coast-to-coast steal and layup to finally end the Celtics’ amazing run.

“Everyone did what they had to do to get us out of this series. You need that in the playoffs. Sometimes you don’t know where it’s going to come from, but it’s nice,” Woodson said. “I didn’t know where it’d come from tonight, but Pablo and Iman stepped up big time.”

The man Shumpert was draped all over, Paul Pierce, had a miserable shooting night, going 4-of-18 from the field. Kevin Garnett added 15 points and 10 rebounds in what was possibly the final time the Hall of Fame duo will play together.

The Knicks earned the 4-2 series win on the strength of a stifling defense that never allowed the Celtics to surpass the 100-point mark in any of the six games.

The win was great, as the Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years — and will face the Pacers on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Game 1 — but Woodson said they’re far from reaching their goals.

“I knew it wasn’t over, because you have to play four quarters. But we withstood the run and now it’s on to round two,” said Woodson. “We just made a step tonight, but there’s still a few more steps to go before we get to where we want to be.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Celtics reached down and relied on their fabled pride as they staved off elimination for yet another game, as they shocked the Knicks, 92-86, in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Boston has now climbed back into the series as they’re down 3-2, but with Game 6 back in Beantown, there’s now a real possibility that both teams will be playing again in New York Sunday at the Garden for a Game 7.

“I thought we came out ready to play, but then they got that thrust that they needed early and I don’t think we responded. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but now it’s a series. We had an opportunity to close it,” Woodson said. “But at the end of the day we still control our own destiny and there’s a lot more basketball left to be played. … I think we’re fine. Sure, we would’ve loved to have closed it out, but they’re competitive. They’re fighting, too. But now we need to see what we’re made of in Boston.”

The Knicks apparently forgot the memo that the hardest thing to do in the NBA playoffs is to close out a series — no matter how big of a lead — because the Celtics scratched and clawed their way out of an early 11-0 deficit to actually take a 45-39 lead at the half.

Jeff Green led a balanced Celtics’ attack with 18 points, as four others reached double figures in scoring. Kevin Garnett was dominant in the post as he notched 16 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, while Paul Pierce had 16 points and Jason Terry added 17 points off the bench. Even Brandon Bass, who’s not known for his offense, added 17 points in 41 minutes of action for a Celtics team that only played seven players.

Carmelo Anthony did all he could to keep the Celtics at bay as he tallied a team-high 22 points, but he needed 24 shots to do so. It also didn’t help as he got no help from his sidekick, J.R. Smith, who at one point shot 0-for-10 from the floor. Smith finished with just 14 points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Woodson shot down the theory that Smith was forcing the issue to show his value to the team after leaving them hanging in Game 4.

“He missed shots, but he took some tough shots, too. It was a struggle for him pretty much the whole game. We have to get him in position to not let him struggle anymore, because we need him to score the basketball,” Woodson said, adding that the absence of Steve Novak in the second half added a big burden to his bench. “We were shorthanded because Novak’s back went out on him, so we couldn’t come back to him, so offensively we were searching.”

Smith, who said afterward he’s a “streaky shooter,” admitted that maybe he pressed too much.

“I was extremely anxious. A lot of fans got me hyped and I couldn’t wait to play,” Smith said. “I think we got too excited, so we need to stay patient, stay humble and try and get the next one.”

Staying humble and patient are keys, but Woodson would rather just see his team put the ball in the basket with more frequency.

“I like what we’re doing defensively, because any time you hold a team to 92 points at home that’s a good thing. We still held them to less than 95 points, but we’re having trouble on offense,” Woodson said. “We have to find some offense somewhere. Raymond [Felton] was solid, but we’re just not getting into our offense. … We’re laboring and our pace has to pick up. We have to do something differently and come up with another plan.”

Felton was the Knicks’ most efficient scorer as he continued his stellar play in this series. He had 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, but no one else in orange and blue was able to apply pressure.

Knicks notes …

» Dave Roberts corollary, anyone? Roberts, the one-time spunky Boston Red Sox outfielder has a spot in the hearts of Boston sports’ fans forever with his role in the Sox’s historic comeback from an 0-3 deficit to the New York Yankees to win the 2004 American League Championship Series. It was Roberts’s steal of second base in the ninth inning of Game 4 that sparked Boston to a 12-inning win, and is credited as the signature move of the Sox’s path to the World Series. Jason Terry’s chin could have that same effect, as the elbow he took from J.R. Smith in Game 3 apparently awakened the Celtics and also resulted in Smith’s one-game suspension for Game 4. Terry has gotten hot since, including nine points in Game 4’s overtime win and 17 points (including five 3-pointers) off the bench Wednesday night, as the fiery guard has relished being an antagonist to the Knicks.

» Terry’s shooting has been a thorn in the Knicks’ side the last two games, but the Knicks aren’t doing themselves any favors either. New York shot a surprising 1-of-6 from 3-pointers in the first half, and finished a meager 5-of-22 from behind the arc. The Celtics, conversely, shot 11-of-22 in 3-pointers.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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J.R. Smith made it clear he believes the Knicks would’ve won Game 4 had he not been suspended. As for who he was suspended for elbowing, he’s not yet ready to speak of him.

“Huh? Who? I don’t even know who that is. I’m sorry,” Smith would say any time either the elbow incident or Jason Terry’s name was brought up.

The only time Smith acknowledged Terry’s existence was when he alluded to the fact Terry engaged in questionable tactics, causing the Smith to swing his elbow.

“[Terry’s action] was [below the belt], but it doesn’t matter. … There are some things that just don’t need to be discussed,” Smith said.

Smith, who acknowledged he’s “vital to the team,” then concluded that he’s learned his lesson. But in doing so, he may have also inadvertently given the Celtics some bulletin-board material.

“We had a minor hiccup, but then again we still had a chance to win,” he said. “I’m just glad to be back and move on. … But, oh yeah, it [the series] would’ve been over. I’d have been playing golf today.”

Instead, the Knicks got back to work on Tuesday, two days after a tense defeat in Boston.

But as heart-wrenching as the loss was, considering the Knicks fought all the way back from a 19-point deficit and forced overtime before falling in the extra frame, their spirits are still very high.

“We can’t think that because we’re up 3-1 that they’re just going to hand it to us,” Carmelo Anthony said about the Celtics’ resolve. “They did a great job of competing and fighting back in Game 4. But now we have a chance to do something special here.”

Head coach Mike Woodson added that he didn’t have to warn his team about overconfidence and he trusts his squad will be focused.

Woodson is a veteran of the game and knows how playoff momentum can swing in an instant. The reason Woodson and Co. are so guarded against overconfidence is because should the Celtics upset the Knicks in Game 5, it sends the series back to Beantown for Game 6. Then all the pressure falls at the feet of the No. 2-seeded Knicks

First thing’s first, though, said Woodson, who noted his squad is totally locked in to close out the series in Game 5.

“Well, it’s big-time urgency on our part, [but] we played the regular season for this. We were able to go to Boston and get a game on the road, so now we’re in position to close this out at home,” Woodson said. “This is a new group in these playoffs, and in playoff basketball anything is liable to happen. But if we play with high energy, we usually come out with a win. .. Close-out games aren’t easy, but I feel confident playing here.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks strolled into Boston’s TD Garden undermanned and ready to close out the series via a sweep, but ended up coming up just short in a 97-90 overtime defeat.

New York now leads the series, 3-1, but had every intention of coming back home without the Celtics in tow. Paul Pierce and Jeff Green made sure the Celtics would be making a return trip to New York, as they poured in 29 points and 26 points, respectively. Kevin Garnett, who’s been battling a hip pointer all series, also came up big for a desperate Celtics team as he added 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

The Knicks almost pulled off a historic comeback as they stormed back from down 20 points in the third quarter and made it a nip-and-tuck affair in the fourth quarter. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be for the Knicks as they couldn’t get the necessary stops down the stretch — particularly on shots from Jason Terry (nine points in overtime) — or make the key buckets.

It also didn’t help that Carmelo Anthony went ice cold, shooting 10-of-35. He started 0-of-5 from the field in the first quarter and 3-of-15 for the half — the latter stat being the most missed field goals for his career in a playoff game.

Anthony, who still finished with a game-high 36 points, got little help from his supporting cast. The bench was outscored, 22-7. NBA Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith didn’t play after being hit with a one-game suspension after he connected with an elbow on Jason Terry’s face near the end of Game 3.

What we saw …

1. The Knicks led the league in least amount of turnovers (11.7), and were very prudent in that category in the first three games. No so in Game 4, as they committed 15 turnovers — including 12 in the first half. The Knicks were so cavalier with the ball that they had more giveaways than actual made field goals (11) in the first half.

2. Smith wasn’t seen by Knicks fans as he was serving a one-game suspension for his errant elbow. Smith was sorely missed as the Knicks’ offense was stagnant, shooting 34.4 percent, and their bench was nonexistent. Terry led the way with 18 points off the Celtics’ bench, including nine in overtime.

3. The Knicks couldn’t rebound and pull off the historic comeback win, but they did rebound on the glass nicely by hammering the Celtics, 54-40. Garnett led Boston with 17 rebounds, but got very little help from his teammates — particularly frontline mates Jeff Green (six) and Brandon Bass (four), who also fouled out with four minutes remaining. Iman Shumpert had an impressive 12 rebounds, while Tyson Chandler added 11 boards.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks are one step closer to finally getting out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

At the same time, New York most likely ended the current batch of Celtics’ reign, as they dominated in a 90-76 win in Game 3.

Led by Carmelo Anthony’s game-high 26 points, the Knicks took a commanding 3-0 series lead and have put the Celtics’ season on life support. But bigger than Anthony’s scoring was the fact that the Knicks’ defense held the Celtics below 80 points for the third consecutive game.

The Knicks sat every starter but Pablo Prigioni by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, with New York up 68-52. Prigioni enjoyed a breakout game as he tallied all nine of his points in the first half – all on 3-pointers.

Boston was led by Jeff Green’s 21 points, but they didn’t matter much because the home team was overmatched essentially from the opening tip. Paul Pierce added 17 points, while Kevin Garnett had 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds in a losing effort.

Anthony began Game 3 shooting just 2-of-7, continuing his trend of starting slowly, but he rebounded nicely to finish 12-of-25 from the field. He was also aided by point guard Raymond Felton, who enjoyed a career night with 15 points and a career playoff-high 10 assists.

The Knicks’ win was huge in many aspects, as they’re not only one game away from an unthinkable sweep, but they also earned their first road playoff win in 12 years and their first playoff win in Boston in 23 years. One more victory and they’ll have the chance to rest and wait for a likely second-round matchup with the Pacers.

What we saw …

1. He actually shot and scored

Prigioni wasn’t the best player on the floor, but he was maybe the coolest. It is Prigioni’s first venture into the fierce NBA playoffs, but the 35-year-old rookie never wavered – not as the Celtics tried to get the partisan crowd in a frenzy at the start of the game, and not even as the Celtics tried to pressure the Knicks guards early to get them out of rhythm. Prigioni only had nine points, but the fact that the often-reticent shooter squeezed off six shots is newsworthy. Larger than that impact, though, was his calming influence on offense as the lead guard and his game-high five steals on defense set the tone.

2. Lived by the 3

The Knicks started hot from behind the arc (4-of-8 in the first quarter) and stayed that way for most of the game (11-of-27) to keep the Celtics on their heels. New York, which set an NBA regular-season record for most 3-point attempts in a season, was led by Prigioni’s three triples. Boston, conversely, is not known for their long-range efficiency and it was painfully obvious they couldn’t keep pace. They shot only 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) on 3-pointers.

3. Bench Mobbed

The Knicks didn’t need much scoring because the Celtics couldn’t find the bucket either, but their bench did enjoy some success. New York’s reserves held a 30-10 advantage over their Boston counterparts. J.R. Smith, who was ejected for throwing an elbow at the head of Jason Terry late in the fourth quarter, led all subs with 15 points. Steve Novak added eight points on 2-of-3 shooting on 3-pointers, but even that output would’ve led all Boston reserves.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The old axiom about the NBA playoffs is that a series doesn’t truly begin until a team loses on its home floor. For one half, it looked like the Celtics officially kicked off this series.

But the luck of the leprechaun didn’t follow them back onto the floor for the second half, as the Knicks dismantled their rival, 87-71, in Game 2 of the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Celtics initially used a stifling defense and a balanced offense to keep the Knicks off-balance, as Paul Pierce led the way for Boston by scoring 10 of his 18 points in the first half. Pierce, along with guys like Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, made life miserable for Carmelo Anthony at first, as the league’s scoring champ shot a horrid 3-of-11 in the first half for 15 points. But Anthony acquitted himself nicely in the second half, specifically the third quarter, when he scored 13 of his game-high 34 points.

“It was a tale of two halves for me shooting the ball,” Anthony said. “We came out in the third quarter and extended our defense to full-court pressure, which then opened up our offensive game. We just buckled down on our defensive end, and that was the key tonight. … Our defense is what makes us win basketball games.”

Anthony was joined by J.R. Smith, who added 19 points on an efficient 7-of-15 shooting to help the Knicks hold serve by winning their first two games at home. Raymond Felton added 16 points to provide a great third option for a Knicks team that has been searching for a sure-fire one all season.

“This is very important. You’re talking about if you’re trying to win a title, you need everyone to chip in,” head coach Mike Woodson said. “I have a lot confidence in Melo, but I also have a lot of confidence in everyone on this team. We’re going to need everybody. It’s not going to be a one-man show. There are times when he might struggle, and that’s when the other guys are going to have to step up.”

Felton’s backcourt mate Pablo Prigioni certainly stepped up as he returned to the lineup after missing Game 1 with a sprained ankle. And while his return didn’t garner any fanfare, his impact was felt, as he helped shut down Boston’s perimeter players. Prigioni had only one point, but he added a team-high five assists and had a steal. Prigioni’s real impact was the way he neutralized Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley, who had a nice showing in the first game. Prigioni was back in the rotation and gave Bradley fits, as the lightning-quick guard scored only six points on just 2-of-5 shooting.

“Pablo’s return gave us another guy that could help run our team and give us a defensive presence out front guarding the ball,” said Woodson. “I thought offensively we were awful [in Game 1]. But those [holes] were some of the things that we got a chance to look at over the last few days, and it helped having Pablo back in the lineup again.”

Prigioni wasn’t alone in the destruction of the Celtics. Kenyon Martin flexed his muscles again by adding game highs in rebounds (11) and blocked shots (four) in 23 minutes off the bench.

Overall, it was total Knicks domination in the second half, as the Celtics were held to a franchise-low 23 second-half points. Woodson, though, said he’s already been warning his team not to expect the Celtics to lay down for them as the series now shifts back to Boston.

“We defended our home court, that’s it. But that’s why we worked so hard to have that advantage,” Woodson said. “But it’s going to be a different series when we go up there. It’s going to be a hostile environment, so we’ll almost have to play perfect basketball, because we can’t expect to just go in there and blow them out.”

Game 3 will be Friday night in Boston, but if the Celtics continue their lackluster scoring and the Knicks continue to flip that switch and eviscerate the Celtics’ defense, there might not be any need to come back to the Garden for a Game 5.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks struck first in what should be a long and drawn out first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics, as they held on for an 85-78 win Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

Led by Carmelo Anthony’s game-high 36 points, the second-seeded Knicks showed the seventh-seeded Celtics that things won’t be as easy as they were the last time these long-time rivals met in the 2011 playoffs.

Anthony didn’t start off shooting particularly well (9-of-24), but he got hot late and finished 13-of-29 from the field, and was effective enough down the stretch on both ends of the floor, including a key steal in the final two minutes that led to a bucket. He finished with a game-high four steals, and was aided by J.R. Smith’s 15 points and five rebounds, as the Knicks managed to escape. Smith, who has masterfully played the part of Anthony’s sidekick all season, also executed solid defense down the stretch to spark the Knicks, including a couple of steals late as the Celtics were clawing back into the game.

Anthony certainly appreciated the effort of his team, acknowledging how big it was to strike first.

“This was a big game for us to get, [because] it was on our home court,” Anthony said, already trying to temper the frantic expectations of the rabid faithful. “We didn’t do nothing except protect our home court. We have to do the same thing in Game 2.”

Jason Kidd (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals) played big down the stretch. He didn’t make anyone harken back to his MVP-type seasons during his New Jersey Nets days, but what Kidd did was leave an imprint on the game like only he can at this stage of his career. The 40-year-old guard had a key steal and a big rebound down the stretch, including one theft that set up a clutch 18-foot jumper from Anthony to extend the lead to five with barely 90 seconds remaining.

Head coach Mike Woodson was impressed with the way Kidd made an impact in crunch-time.

“Jason has been doing this all season,” Woodson said. “Loose balls, strips, keeping balls alive. He just always seems to be in the right place at the right time.”

Even Celtics’ head coach Doc Rivers was impressed with Kidd’s imprint.

“He beats everyone with his brain,” Rivers said.

Anthony not only beat the Celtics with his basketball IQ, but like Kidd, he also managed to be in the right place at the right time late in the game when he had a sweet assist to Kenyon Martin for the easy layup. It pushed the lead back up to seven with 41 seconds remaining, essentially salting away the game. It was Martin who gave the Knicks the best chance to win down the stretch with his energy and ability to cash in around the rim against the vaunted defense.

Tyson Chandler’s minutes (20 total) suffered as a result of Martin’s presence, but Woodson said to not read too much into things going forward, as he was merely going with the hot hand.

“Tyson just didn’t have it tonight [and] that’s no knock on him,” Woodson insisted. “He gave us what he had and I just elected to go with Kenyon.”

For his part, Chandler downplayed his uneven performance, and said he “felt great” after the game. The veteran pivot said if anything his conditioning isn’t peak yet, but his malaise had nothing to do with the bulging disk in his neck.

Regardless, a win’s a win and the Knicks will take it, especially since they outperformed the Celtics on the defensive end — something Rivers and Co. typically take great pride in doing themselves. The Knicks as a whole played outstanding defense, even without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year at his peak playing performance yet. Their collective effort was felt particularly in the fourth quarter, as they limited the Celtics to just eight points. Boston only mustered a .415 percent shooting from the field for the game.

The Celtics were led by Jeff Green, who surprisingly led the Celtics with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Green sparked the Celtics from the opening tip, as he notched 20 points and two blocks in the first half.

Paul Pierce, usually the Celtics’ go-to guy, added 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting, as he started the game more as a facilitator — something Celtics’ fans have grown used to seeing without the presence of a true point guard. Pierce, who’s known more for his scoring than dishing, started off by trying to get others involved with six of his team-high seven assists coming in the first half. Avery Bradley added 15 points and three steals in a losing effort.

Things started off very well for Boston as it led 29-26 after one and 53-49 at the half. This was the type of game the Celtics wanted to play because the tempo was slower paced and the buckets hard to come by. Neither team was truly able to form any kind of offensive flow, as the Knicks’ offense was also stymied for most of the game (.405 percent from the field). New York only had two starters score in double figures (Raymond Felton had 13 points), making this defensive-struggle of a win all the more refreshing and confidence boosting for the Knicks.

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The Knicks may have to do some lineup reshuffling for Game 1 of the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs due to their rash of injuries.

The walking wounded around their facilities is nothing new, but when the bodies again started adding up during the final regular season game Wednesday night, and the Celtics are looming in what should be a physical first-round series, that’s cause for concern.

New York officially listed point guard Pablo Prigioni as questionable after the 35-year-old rookie rolled his right ankle in the first quarter against the Hawks. Immediately following the game, head coach Mike Woodson didn’t seem too concerned, deeming Prigioni ready to go for Saturday. But by Thursday’s practice, Woodson was singing a different tune, as he didn’t sound nearly as optimistic about Prigioni’s availability.

Prigioni, who was seen moving around on crutches after the Hawks game and again during Thursday’s session, tweeted an update on Thursday morning saying he would “return soon,” with no mention of Woodson’s previous claim that the guard would be day-to-day.

If Prigioni can’t go, look for Woodson to shuffle the rotation and perhaps start Jason Kidd at shooting guard, alongside point guard Raymond Felton. He’d then likely also start Chris Copeland at small forward, Iman Shumpert at his more natural shooting guard position and Carmelo Anthony at power forward. All-Star center Tyson Chandler (bulging disc in his neck) said he “feels about as good as I’ve felt all season” and is “definitely” playing on Saturday.

Copeland, who’s been yearning for more playing time all season, said he’s ready for whatever role Woodson has for him. The 29-year-old rookie added he’s not nervous at all about the playoffs, rather he’s “anxious to see what it’s all about.”

“The playoffs is a whole ‘nother scenario,” Copeland said. “I like our chances, though, because we have a deep team. I’m excited to get this thing rolling.”

The only rolling that concerns the Knicks right now is Prigioni’s ankle, because there’s no telling his availability. Woodson allowed that ideally he’d want to keep Kidd, J.R. Smith, Steve Novak and Kenyon Martin as his primary backups. Martin (sprained right ankle) has missed the last five games but also said he’ll be ready to go.

Woodson said whatever happens in the playoffs, he’s confident his veteran-laden team can roll with the punches.

“The playoffs are a different ball game. It is what it is. We can’t be complaining to the officials, we just have to play. We can only worry about who’s dressed. And come Saturday, we’ll need to dictate and control the game,” Woodson said. “That’s what [the playoffs] is all about. We have to leave everything out there. We have to play like it’s our last game, because we don’t want to go home. We want to extend this thing all the way through.”

Knicks notes …

» The league announced the first-round schedule on Thursday. The Knicks will host the Celtics in Game 1 on Saturday (3 p.m.) and Game 2 on Tuesday (8 p.m.). Game 3 (Friday) and Game 4 (next Sunday) will be in Boston, played at 8 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. If necessary, Game 5 is back at the Garden, next Wednesday, Game 6 will be in Boston the following Friday and Game 7 would be at the Garden the Sunday after that.

» Woodson does not feel that Amar’e Stoudemire will be available for the first round.

» Felton was in high spirits when talking about the excitement of the postseason. Following Thursday’s practice, he backed up what he bellowed to his teammates following the Hawks’ game: “We know what time it is. It’s our time. We just need to go get it. It’s all about that Knicks Tape.”

» Earl Barron doesn’t figure to be a prominent figure in the playoffs unless injuries really decimate the Knicks, but Woodson said he’s happy to have the journeyman big man on his roster: “He’s been in enough systems that he knows how to play. He can play pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop, so if I’m ever in a crunch I can put him in there and he’ll be ready to play.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8 throughout the playoffs.

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The Knicks officially locked up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by disposing of their closest threat to that vaunted position in a 90-80 defeat of the Pacers.

Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 25 points as the Knicks (53-27) will end the regular season with a chance to have homecourt advantage over every team but the top-seeded Heat (64-16). With Boston locked into the No. 7 seed, the Knicks can already begin preparing for their rivals in the first round.

“It’s a great achievement because we accomplished one of our main goals after we won the division,” said Woodson. “But, now first thing’s first, we have to get healthy and then go against Boston.”

New York used solid team defense to curtail the Pacers’ offense — particularly All-Star forward Paul George, who struggled by shooting 3-of-12 and scoring just nine points. Indiana (49-31) came into the game flaunting a considerable size advantage and it worked on the glass as they outrebounded the Knicks, 45-32. But they couldn’t get their shot going collectively, shooting just 43.1 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent behind the arc.

Conversely, the Knicks shot 42.7 percent, including 35.5 percent on 3-pointers. Anthony is usually complemented by a supreme sidekick scorer, but instead of J.R. Smith being the second banana, it was rookie forward Chris Copeland, who added 20 points off the bench. Copeland was particularly effective in the first half when he notched 12 points, including two 3-pointers.

The Knicks may have to rely upon Copeland even more when it matters most if they can’t get all their banged-up bodies back in time for the Celtics, because Anthony joined the list of the ailing when he had to come out of the game in the fourth quarter due to a bruised left shoulder.

But the All-Star forward said he’ll be fine, and actually warmed to the idea of receiving extra rest this week in preparation for what he hopes is a long playoff run. Woodson noted that if the game’s margin had gotten down to eight points or less he would have probably brought Anthony back into the game.

Anthony said he’ll be “ready to go” next week and will likely sit out tomorrow’s game against the Bobcats.

“It’s OK. I’m good. I just got nicked,” said Anthony, quickly diverting his attention to the Celtics. “It’s a big series for the organization and the city. … There’s no added pressure to win [because of the Knicks’ recent playoff troubles], but of course we want payback for two years ago. We want to beat Boston, let’s be quite frank about it.”

The win affords the Knicks the ability to rest the walking wounded if necessary as they have two basically meaningless games to close out the regular season, at the Bobcats and home against the Hawks.

And whatever obstacles lie ahead for the Knicks, Woodson sounded confident all the veteran-laden team’s hard work has prepared them sufficiently.

“I’ve seen a team with a lot of heart that’s committed,” Woodson said. “Everybody’s played a major role in where we are today, and [the accolades and accomplishments] is well deserved.”

Knicks notes

» Rasheed Wallace’s recovery has him on track for a possible return in the final two regular season games. Wallace, who has been recovering from a late-February foot surgery and hasn’t played since Dec. 13, would be a boost to the undersized Knicks. Wallace was seen running at Madison Square Garden prior to today’s matinee and Woodson told the media he could be available very soon.

» Good news for Copeland in that Woodson likely trusts him now. The sometimes gruff head coach said Copeland has “earned himself” a spot in the playoff rotation, praising how far he’s come since the summer league.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks head to Chicago for a key Thursday night matchup riding a wave of euphoria not felt by the franchise in quite some time.

Following Tuesday night’s Atlantic Division-clinching win, the Knicks (51-26) finally ended the Celtics’ five-year reign of terror in the division, while also further separating themselves from the Pacers (49-29) for the all-important No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The seeding, if it stands, means only the Heat (61-16) will have homecourt advantage over the Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Head coach Mike Woodson announced that winning the division was a “long overdue” prize for the franchise, prideful that one of the team’s “major goals since veteran’s camp” was met.

J.R. Smith, one of the frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year, said winning the division and gaining a stranglehold on the No. 2 seed outweighs whatever personal bests he’s accomplishing this season.

“It’s a great thing to achieve one of your main goals, and now we’ve just got to go get that gold ball,” Smith said about capturing the Larry O’Brien trophy, something the franchise hasn’t done in 40 years.

The Knicks seemingly have history on their side, as this current 13-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest since winning 15 in a row from March 1, 1994 to April 2, 1994 — a season which ended in an NBA Finals appearance. The Knicks can tie the franchise record of 18 in a row, set early in their first NBA championship season of 1969-70, by winning their final five games.

But before that happens, the Knicks need to beat the Bulls (42-35), a team which has experience in ending long winning streaks. They ended the Heat’s 27-game winning streak last month. The Bulls are 3-0 against the Knicks in the season series, so it is a tough task for New York. But should the visitors pull out the victory, there’s no telling how long the Knicks’ streak can extend.

Carmelo Anthony, who is enjoying his own special season as the league’s leading scorer, said he appreciates what the team has achieved so far, but added he’s confident there’s much more to come.

“There’s no reason not to have a smile on your face at this moment,” Anthony said. “We’ve accomplished one of our goals that we set before the season in training camp, [but] it’s a stepping stone for us.”

Knicks notes

» Power forward Kenyon Martin, the Knicks’ latest big man to go down with an injury, will likely be out for Thursday’s game in Chicago. Martin injured his left ankle midway through the fourth quarter in Tuesday night’s win. X-rays were negative, but Woodson didn’t sound optimistic about seeing Martin again on the floor anytime soon, as he said Martin had a “severe ankle sprain.”

» The Knicks also announced Tyson Chandler (bulging disc in neck) is out, while power forward Marcus Camby (plantar fasciitis) is doubtful.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks continued their storied stretch, as they knocked off the Wizards, 120-96, Tuesday night.

New York (51-26) ran its season-high winning streak to 13, while clinching the Atlantic Division crown for the first time since the 1993-94 season. Carmelo Anthony led the way with a game-high 36 points, as the Knicks basically led wire-to-wire. Anthony added eight rebounds and six assists, as he became the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2006-07 to notch at least 35 points in five straight games.

Anthony’s scoring streak was about the only drama, as the outcome was never in doubt. The Knicks fell into a 2-0 deficit to start the game, but never looked back after taking the lead for good just seconds later.

Head coach Mike Woodson shrugged his shoulders when discussing his star’s hot streak.

“I think Melo has been on a nice run, which is nice to see. But I knew he was thinking more about winning the division than getting his numbers,” Woodson said. “He’s trying to do it on both ends on the floor. Your best player must always make others around you better, and that’s what’s he’s doing this season.”

Anthony made others around him better from the opening tip because the Knicks started hot and barely cooled off, as their 3-point assault was the real key to the win. Woodson, who’s installed a more balanced offense this season with his ball-swing philosophy, said he doesn’t mind all the 3-pointers because for the most part they’re all coming within the framework of the offense.

“We’re one of the top shooting teams in the league, and that’s pretty much what we do. But they’re not bad shots. We have guys that can make them, because if we didn’t trust me, they wouldn’t be shooting them,” said Woodson. “We’ve shot it with a high percentage this year so when you got [open looks], you have to take them.”

The Wizards (29-49) were led by point guard John Wall’s 33 points, but it was his lack of getting others involved which ultimately doomed his team. Wall finished with a team-high 19 attempts (the next highest was 12 by Cartier Martin off the bench), but only had three assists to four turnovers.

“We’re playing as well as we did when we started the season,” Woodson said. “Our defense is great, and our offense [is] scoring at a high pace. Everyone is playing unselfish and looking out for each other.”

The Knicks played a well-rounded effort as six players reached double figures. Anthony was complemented by unusual suspects like Iman Shumpert and Chris Copeland. The former had 18 points — a boost considering he went scoreless in Sunday’s win at Oklahoma City — while the latter added 17 points. Both players knocked down four 3-pointers.

Jason Kidd has seen about everything a veteran can see, but he sounded very impressed with how well the Knicks have adapted to adversity.

“One way to look at the injuries is that everyone gets a chance to play. We’re a deep team, but we lost another one tonight [Kenyon Martin], which makes us small. But in the end we play as a team,” said Kidd. “It also helps when Melo carries us. He was cooking tonight, the hottest thing out there.”

The Wizards came into the game stout on the defensive end, allowing just 91.2 points per game in their last five contests, but the Knicks hit them with a barrage of 3-pointers (9-of-12) to take the early lead. They finished with a franchise-record tying 20 made 3-pointers.

The Knicks can taste the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference — an important feat considering they’d have homecourt advantage against every team except the top-seeded Heat.

“The second seed is still out there and it’s something that is right there for us [to take]. We just have to figure out how to take it, especially as we’re banged up with the injured right now. But the guys who are dressed are competing,” said Woodson. “All it means [is that] we’re heading into the right direction. When you set goals as team and you accomplish it, it means a lot to the franchise, the players and the fans. … Everyone came into veteran’s camp committed and it’s carried over all season.”

Knicks notes

» All-Star center Tyson Chandler (neck) didn’t dress tonight, as soreness from his bulging disc flared up again during today’s shootaround. Replacing Chandler in the lineup was ailing big man Kenyon Martin, who missed the two previous games with soreness in his knee. The fiery 6-foot-9 power forward stepped into the pivot, but didn’t have much impact (two points, three rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes) before bowing out with a turned left ankle midway through the fourth quarter. The X-rays were negative, as he was officially diagnosed with a sprained left ankle.

» Anthony is the NBA’s top scorer and owner of its most popular jersey. Anthony passed reigning MVP LeBron James for the top sales spot Tuesday, the league announced. He’s the first Knicks player to lead since the list was released in 2001-02. The list is based on sales at the NBA Store in New York and on NBAStore.com since last November. Thunder star Kevin Durant is third, followed by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

» Even the Garden faithful were shooting lights out, as a female fan won $10,000 by knocking down a free throw during a break in the action.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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When the Knicks host the Wizards tonight, the casual fan may think New York’s 13th-straight victory is already in the bag.

But the Wizards (29-48) aren’t your average league dreg. Since point guard John Wall was reinserted into the lineup following the knee injury that forced him to miss the first 40 games, Washington is a very respectable 23-20 – with wins over New York, Brooklyn and Miami. In fact, had Wall played the entire season (they started the year 4-28), and the Wizards had their full complement of players, it’s a safe bet they’d be firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, fighting for either the sixth, seventh or eighth seed.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson certainly does not take the Wizards lightly, and has repeatedly used that loss in Washington as a tool to keep his team sharp any time they play a lesser team.

“We went flat,” Woodson said, recalling that loss. “We were just there thinking we were going to show up and come out of there with a win, and it just didn’t happen. It was awful across the boards, starting at the top with me.”

The Wizards’ lone win in this series, 106-96 on Feb. 6, snapped the Knicks’ five-game winning streak, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Washington can upend favored New York again. Wall tortured Raymond Felton that game as he tallied 21 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and a steal as the Wizards had 36 points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Knicks notes

» One safe bet is that Carmelo Anthony continues his 30-point stretch. While the Wizards have done a respectable job against the Knicks, Anthony has still averaged 27 points per game in those contests. And with the way Anthony is shooting these days, he may reach 27 points by the end of the third quarter. Should Anthony surpass the 30-point plateau again, it’ll be his fifth straight game doing so.

» Anthony was also named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Anthony, currently the top scorer in the league after outdueling Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant in Sunday’s win, is averaging 28.4 points per game. His torrid pace this past week featured three-straight games of at least 40 points, with a one-week average of 41.8 points. His scoring spree helped the Knicks go 4-0 last week. Anthony’s achievements this past week tied newly minted Hall of Famer Bernard King for the most consecutive 40-point games as a Knick — including a 50-point effort in Miami against the Heat last Tuesday.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks can now put to rest any clamor about the legitimacy of their winning streak, as they went into Oklahoma City and knocked off the Thunder, 125-120.

Carmelo Anthony went over the 30-point mark for the fourth straight game, and helped the Knicks (50-26) win their 12th straight game as the Knicks have regained that early-season swagger and are now once again a legitimate NBA title contender.

Anthony won his personal duel over Kevin Durant, 36-27, but did more than just score, as he also added a game-high 12 rebounds. Anthony’s newfound prolific sidekick, J.R. Smith, added 22 points, including a back-breaking straightaway 3-pointer with less than a minute remaining to basically put the game to rest. He also added seven rebounds and four assists.

The Thunder (56-21) were led by Russell Westbrook, who did all he could to keep Oklahoma City in the game as he finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He was a problem for New York all game as he tallied 12 points (5-of-12 shooting) in the first half and then erupted for 14 points (5-of-8) in the third quarter, to help the Thunder keep pace.

Ultimately, the Knicks had too many weapons to contend with, as their hot shooting from behind the arc (44.1 percent on 15-of-34 shooting) and timely rebounds (41-37 advantage) proved to be too much.

New York’s 125 points were also a season high, as they’ve now gained firm control of the Atlantic Division, with their magic number being just one.

What we learned …

1. Big impact

Tyson Chandler didn’t produce his usual All-Star worthy numbers, but he did enough to offset the Thunder’s big frontline of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Chandler, who’s been battling bulging neck pain, came into the game leading the league with four offensive rebounds per game and finished with three on the offensive glass. He finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two blocks.

2. Reserve’s reservoir of points

Thanks to Smith, the Knicks’ bench will usually out-produce their opponent’s bench. New York’s bench bested Oklahoma City’s 55-30. Smith was great again as he tallied 22 points off the pine. But Smith wasn’t alone, as Jason Kidd added 14 points (four 3-pointers), six rebounds and two steals and was his usual savvy self as he also had several key moments that won’t show up in the box sheet including supreme boxing out of the Thunder star point guard Westbrook, tipped passes that led to open shots and making the key extra pass. Chris Copeland was also stellar off the bench as he added 13 points, including two 3-pointers.

3. Night of marks

Anthony wasn’t the only one to have a special afternoon, temporarily taking over the league’s scoring lead, but the win also marked the first time since 1999-00 that the Knicks won 50 games. Head coach Mike Woodson also became the fastest Knicks coach to win 100 games as the Knicks are just one game away from clinching the Atlantic Division title and have regained firm control of the all-important No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James each made strong cases for their MVP candidacies in entirely different ways as the Knicks knocked off the Heat, 102-90, Tuesday night.

While Anthony was busy shredding Miami’s defense for a career-high tying 50 points, James was further cementing his MVP status from the bench. James missed his second-straight game due to a hamstring injury and the void was felt greatly by a Heat squad that wilted down the stretch.

All-Star guard Dwyane Wade (ankle) also sat out – and starting point guard Mario Chalmers (knee) as well — as the Knicks took full advantage of the undermanned Heat. New York has not only won nine straight games, a season-high, but they also improved to 10-2 with Kenyon Martin. The fiery backup center, who has filled in admirably for All-Star center Tyson Chandler, helped the Knicks’ bench outplay Miami’s reserves, 29-27 in points and 16-11 in rebounds. Conversely, the Heat fell to 31-3 when their own energetic and athletic backup center Chris Andersen plays, as he could only muster six points and one rebound.

It wasn’t all rosy for the Knicks (47-26), however — even as Chandler (neck) returned to the lineup after missing the previous nine games, because the Heat (58-16) battled for the better part of three and a half quarters to stay within striking distance. Chris Bosh led the Heat with 23 points, while backup guard Norris Cole added 14 points in place of Chalmers, and Ray Allen notched 16 points off the bench.

Ultimately, the Knicks used a 13-2 run that spanned most of the final eight minutes of regulation to put away the game.

What we learned …

1. MIA stars missing in action.

Fans in attendance didn’t see James, Wade or Chalmers, and that lack of star power ultimately proved to be Miami’s undoing. The supporting cast, led by Mike Miller, picked up the slack for the better part of three quarters, but in the end, the role players’ efforts weren’t enough. The Knicks took control of the game late, stifling Miller, who didn’t score in the second half after registering 18 points in the first half. Miller’s first-half production was the most points he’s scored since Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals, but his shortcomings were put on full display once the Knicks shifted their focus to stopping him, as he didn’t have James or Wade to bail him out.

2. Anthony excoriates the Heat again

Anthony had 50 points, including 27 in the first half, as Heat forward Shane Battier will likely see the All-NBA forward in his nightmares for the foreseeable future. Anthony’s game-high tied a career high, as it was the third time in his illustrious career he reached that plateau. It certainly wasn’t piling on, though, as the Knicks needed every bit of his points.

3. Still living by the 3s.

The Knicks shot 14-of-27 from behind the arc, good for 51.9 percent, to offset a feisty Heat squad. Anthony knocked down a game-high seven 3-pointers – one less than the entire Heat roster — while the Knicks also saw production from Iman Shumpert, who also knocked down three 3-pointers. J.R. Smith failed to match his hot scoring pace, by only tallying 14 points off the bench, but he managed to knock down a pair of 3-pointers as well.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks have seemingly exorcised their personal Beantown demons, as they knocked off the Celtics, 108-89, Sunday night.

The win not only essentially ended the Celtics’ five-year stranglehold on the Atlantic Division, as the Knicks (46-26) now lead third-place Boston (38-35) by five games, but it also gave New York the edge in the season series, 3-1, which is the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Carmelo Antony managed to finally outshine red-hot teammate J.R. Smith, as he notched a team-high 24 points. Anthony also added 10 rebounds and two steals to help the Knicks win their season-high eighth straight victory. Smith was once again efficient as he tallied 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

The Knicks also beat the Celtics on the glass for the second time in as many matchups, as they earned a 41-37 advantage. Defensively they did enough to curtail a Celtics attack that was missing Kevin Garnett (foot). Jeff Green had 27 points, while Paul Pierce added 24 points, but they were the only two Celtics to look comfortable.

Kenyon Martin, who sat out the fourth quarter for precautionary reasons with a strained left abdominal muscle, said the key was the way the Knicks were playing defense and not allowing the Celtics’ supporting cast to get hot.

“[We were] talking, being active, and limiting them to just one possession,” said Martin. “We were just competing, contesting shots, and keeping them off the glass.”

Just as impressive as their rebounding and defense was the fact the Knicks had a robust shooting percentage from behind the arc. They shot a collective 14-of-27 for 51.9 percent. The Knicks’ marksmanship was on full display from the opening tip, as they knocked down 11-of-16 from behind the arc in the first half, including a halfcourt 3-pointer at the buzzer by Raymond Felton. Five of the seven Knicks players who knocked down 3-pointers had at least two.

Felton had a wry smile afterward when discussing his halfcourt heave and said he’s been getting good looks like that all the time, thanks to the presence of Smith and Anthony.

“When you have guys like J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony that command double-teams, you’re bound to get easy shots,” said Felton. “Our defense has been great and our offensive spacing has been great. Everyone is playing together as a team. … I feel like we’re playing on the same level as [the top teams] and have our own hot streak.”

New York has been hot from behind the arc almost all season, as they’ve lived and died by the three all season. Their league-leading 28.7 attempts per game from behind the arc is a testament to that philosophy.

But while critics will note that no team in league history has ever won a title by using the 3-point shot as its primary weapon, should the Knicks continue this torrid stretch into the postseason, they may dispel that thinking.

The Knicks had 15 assists on 21 made field goals in the first half, and finished with an astonishing 23 assists on their 35 made field goals. The bench also did its share by outscoring the Celtics reserves, 50-32.

Head coach Mike Woodson said he likes how the team is playing as cohesive as they’ve done since the torrid 18-5 start to the season.

“It’s important,” Woodson said when asked how crucial it was for the Knicks to regain their mojo heading down the stretch. “Every game is important in terms of us staying in front of our division and staying at that No. 2 spot [in the Eastern Conference]. We’re back to playing like the way we started the season. The ball is moving and it doesn’t matter who’s shooting the ball. Everyone is only concerned about winning. … We knew this was going to be a tough month. But we played it hard like we wanted to get some things accomplished, like staying in front of the division.”

The Knicks finished 12-6 in March.

Knicks notes

» Woodson said he’s not sure about Chandler’s availability for Tuesday’s important tilt in Miami, but he’ll have a better idea during Monday’s practice.

“We’ll do individual stuff with him. Maybe have him do some one-on-one with Chris [Copeland]. He’s played a lot of basketball this year, from last season’s playoffs, to the Olympics and now this season, so I don’t need to see much from him to know when he’s ready. If he tells me he’s ready to play, I have no problem putting him in there again.”

» Copeland is still learning the ropes as a 29-year-old rookie, especially on defense. Woodson said he knows Copeland can put the ball in the hole, as he scored 22 points against the Celtics, but if he wants to see more playing time, he’ll need to ratchet up his defensive intensity.

“The thing about Chris, we know he can score the ball. We just need to get him up to speed with our defensive principles. He’s getting better but he has a long way to go. He still needs his reps and is still new to the league.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks are on a roll right now, thanks to the hot hand of their electric swingman. But to the surprise of many, it’s not Carmelo Anthony who’s been leading the way, but rather shooting guard J.R. Smith.

The 27-year-old backup has suddenly flipped the switch and been relied upon by head coach Mike Woodson to lead the way for the Knicks (44-26) during their current six-game winning streak. Smith has averaged 24.6 points per game for the Knicks during this stretch — currently tying for their longest winning streak of the season, and is the longest current streak in the NBA. He’s averaging 17.4 points per game for the season (13.1 for his career), which shows how much he’s ratcheted up his game.

Smith just completed his first back-to-back 30-point nights of his NBA career, and became the first Knicks’ reserve to net 30-plus in consecutive games since Al Harrington did it in 2010.

The fact that Woodson trusts Smith so much is a testament to both the coach’s hard work and patience and the player’s willingness to accept the fact that he’s now a seasoned veteran who needs to shed the image of a sometimes troublesome nuisance for coaches.

Woodson acknowledged it hasn’t been an easy journey for the pair, but added that Smith has done mostly everything that’s been asked of him and he hasn’t seen too many of the antics that clouded Smith’s reputation.

“I can’t speak for other coaches who had him before me, but I saw some things in him that I liked and that’s why we wanted him back,” Woodson said. “It was my job to coach him and show him some love, and I think he’s responded nicely for our club. There’s always room for improvement, and there’s a ways to go, but I think he’s getting there.”

Smith simply shook his head and shrugged his shoulders when asked about his renaissance season. The eight-year veteran acknowledged times aren’t always rosy with Woodson, but what separates Woodson from other coaches in the past who Smith butted heads with is how easily the two can cast aside any heated exchanges because of the mutual respect they have for each other.

“It’s crazy. Off the court it’s like father-son. On the court we bump heads sometimes. He cusses me out, and I cuss him out and we just go from there,” Smith said. “It’s fun. I love playing for him.”

Woodson has had experiences working with young, temperamental, and inexperienced players in the past, and reasoned that’s why he has been able to relate with Smith. He then quipped had he coached the Smith of three or four years ago, they might’ve been yelling at each a whole lot more than they do now.

“I had an opportunity to coach a bunch of 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old young men when I first started coaching in Atlanta. Young players are just different than veteran players,” Woodson said. “Three or four years ago, I probably would’ve been a little more tougher on him, [because] with young players, you have to be able to coach them and pat them [on the back] and that’s what I’d probably have had to do with J.R. … But now, he’s more seasoned and there hasn’t been much of that. But you have to put him in the right positions and also not let him off the hook. It’s all give and take, but for the most part he’s responded well with what I’ve asked of him.”

Smith has certainly responded and his recent play has not only helped the Knicks regain firm control in the Atlantic Division, but he’s also reinserted his name on the short list of Sixth Man of the Year candidates. His game has elevated so much lately that Smith has essentially relegated Anthony to a sidekick role.

But if Anthony is jealous of this new-found praise for Smith, he’s not showing it. Perhaps because he realizes he needs Smith to continue his upward trend if the Knicks are to seriously contend in the playoffs.

“He’s dialed in right now,” said Anthony. “We’re just hoping he keeps it dialed in right now because the way he’s going right now he’s putting the team over the top.”

Smith has done a great job of feasting on opposing defenses lately. And according to Kenyon Martin, whatever it is Smith has been doing, he needs to continue that pregame routine.

“I don’t know what he’s eating for breakfast, or dinner, or whatever it is, but we need him to keep doing it,” joked Martin. “He’s putting us on his back.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks needed an immediate remedy following their ill-fated West Coast trip, and thankfully for them, the Magic came to town to aid the cause as New York earned a 106-94 wire-to-wire win Wednesday night.

Head coach Mike Woodson was forced to go small, as he was missing four of his top big men — Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace. But he thankfully had Carmelo Anthony at his disposal. Anthony, who missed almost the entire road trip, finished with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting (3-of-5 on 3-pointers) in his first full game back since March 11 against the Warriors.

Woodson simply shrugged his shoulders when asked to recap Anthony’s performance, as if saying that his star didn’t even look like a guy battling a knee injury for an extended period of time.

“He was big time tonight. It was Melo being Melo. From the time I took over, he’s been a true pro and that’s all you can ask for,” said Woodson, who divulged the plan was to not overexert his star. “I thought he was great. He only played 32 minutes, and I didn’t want to burn him out and play him 37-38 minutes. Those extra five minutes of rest does a guy good.”

The former MVP candidate didn’t even look rusty, as he was in a great rhythm from the opening tip. Anthony had 14 points, including 2-of-3 in 3-pointers, and a team-high four rebounds in the first half, to set the tone, as he carried a Knicks offense that was in need of a boost.

“It felt good for the most part,” Anthony said of his knee. “I wanted to see if I could do everything, and I did. I was pain free. Best I’ve felt since right before All-Star break. … It was a big relief for me, especially mentally, [because] I was able to do some of the things that I’m usually able to do.”

The All-Star forward wasn’t alone, however, as he was aided by J.R. Smith, who had arguably his most efficient game of the season. Smith tallied a team-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting and played under control for most of the game. Smith also played exceptional defense in the post, although vastly overmatched in size, and added seven rebounds and a huge blocked shot in the final moments.

Kenyon Martin got the start at center, sans Chandler, and turned in an admirable performance of 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and three rebounds.

The post play wasn’t nearly as lethal to the Magic as the Knicks’ long-range shooting. New York knocked down 15-of-34 in 3-pointers (44.1 percent). Conversely, the Magic shot just 5-of-17 (29.4 percent) from behind the arc, and never really threatened.

Woodson said he made it a point of emphasis in the pregame preparations to keep the Magic in check, especially on 3-pointers.

“We held them down tonight. Not bad. Anytime we can hold a team under 95 points you put yourself in position to win a lot of games,” Woodson said. “The supporting cast was great. We built that big lead, [because] everyone chipped in and did what they had to do. Orlando wasn’t overly big, so I elected to keep [Marcus] Camby on the sidelines. … If he doesn’t need to play, he doesn’t need to. But when needed, he can definitely give us what we need.”

As the Knicks head down the home stretch of the season, they’ll need all the healthy and rested bodies they can get. Tonight’s win was important for the Knicks in more than just getting back a healthy Anthony, since they maintained their one-game lead over the Nets, who also won tonight in Dallas.

Knicks notes

» Iman Shumpert sat out the second half with a tweaked left knee. Woodson didn’t think it was too serious, and added his shooting guard was ready to play again if needed: “Iman could’ve played again, but I decided to sit him down to be cautious until he gets looked at by the doctors. But I think he’ll be all right.”

Shumpert used the alarming word “pop” when recalling the initial feeling in his recovering knee, but said he doesn’t think it’ll be a hindrance going forward: “I felt it popped. … It scared me, because the last time that happened I missed eight months.”

The second-year pro said the trainers initially diagnosed that it’s likely scar tissue, and shouldn’t be a major concern. He’ll receive more tests and treatment Thursday.

» Woodson acknowledged the surging Nets, but added his main concern is his own team and how well they respond down the stretch: “We have to be consistent with winning at home, and .500 or better on the road, to win the division. We can’t beg for help. No looking over our shoulders or wanting and needing help for someone to lose.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks continued their downward slide with a troubling and injury-riddled 117-94 loss to the Nuggets.

Carmelo Anthony’s delayed homecoming was a nightmare on all levels, as the banged-up MVP candidate couldn’t even finish the game — and when he was in the game, he was a non-factor, netting just nine points in 21 minutes of action.

Last year’s lockout eliminated the Knicks’ lone visit, so the Pepsi Center crowd had plenty of time to build vitriol to their former star of seven seasons. Alas, Anthony didn’t give the home crowd enough time to jeer him, as he left the game early in the third quarter with soreness in his already ailing right knee.

The home crowd had plenty to cheer about with their relentless Nuggets (44-22) squad, though, as Denver had four of their five starters reach double digits scoring, and two more players do the same off the bench. The Nuggets also hammered the Knicks (38-24) on the boards, 53-33, including an 18-7 advantage on the offensive glass, while forcing the usually prudent Knicks into 19 turnovers. New York came into the game with a league-low 11 turnovers per game.

The Knicks (38-24) were led by Iman Shumpert’s season-high 20 points. But as impressive as his breakout game was, he could’ve doubled that effort and the Knicks would’ve still struggled to earn the victory.

What we learned …

1. Injuries crippling Knicks

The Knicks haven’t had their own version of the “Big 3” on the floor together for most of the season, but at least the trio can now carve out space on the injured list together. Amar’e Stoudemire is already on the injured list for at least the remainder of the regular season, but Wednesday night he was joined by Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony. The former suffered a left knee contusion when he collided with Corey Brewer with 1:28 remaining in the first half and never returned. The latter exited with 9:45 remaining in the third quarter and was done for the night with soreness in his ailing right knee and the Knicks already down 70-44.

2. No hustle or energy

The Knicks might’ve done better to not even get off the team bus at the arena, judging by the way they were severely beaten in all facets of the game. Denver hammered New York on the glass, 53-33, including an 18-7 advantage on the offensive glass — and that was even with the 7-foot-1 Chandler still in the lineup. Despite having the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the lineup, the Nuggets lived in the paint. But that’s what happens when a team like the Knicks only has one true interior defender. Unfortunately for New York, the Chandler-Brewer collision was about the only contact any Knicks player had with any Nuggets player in the paint, as there was a layup line for the home team practically all night. The microcosm of Wednesday night’s effort was the aggressive play of the Nuggets, which was evident in their 37-22 advantage on free-throw attempts.

3. Two better than one

Count the Nuggets as the winner so far in the Anthony trade, overall and Wednesday night. Denver improved to 100-57 since the February 2011 trade, while New York fell to 88-68. Making matters worse is the fact that two of the more important principles that were traded for Anthony, forwards Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, excelled while Anthony couldn’t even finish the contest. Gallinari finished with 16 points and three steals, while Chandler added a game-high 24 points off the bench. Anthony could only muster nine points on 3-of-12 shooting in 21 minutes of action before his night ended early.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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When Knicks head coach Mike Woodson decided to dust off Carmelo Anthony after a 3 1/2 game layoff due to a mysterious right knee injury, he might’ve had visions of a heroic return to the lineup. Unfortunately for Woodson and Co., the Knicks were humbled by the Warriors, 92-63, to kick off what will be a crucial five-game West Coast swing.

Anthony could muster only 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting, and never looked comfortable. His shot was off, and he was outmatched in the post by former Knicks power forward David Lee, who tallied 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Stephen Curry notched 26 points, including six 3-pointers. He didn’t net 54 points as he did in the last meeting, but he didn’t have to as he got help from backcourt mate Klay Thompson and his 23 points.

The Knicks (38-23) were never really in the ball game, as they only had two starters reach double figures in scoring, only led once (1-0 to start the game) and had their season lows in points scored and shooting percentage.

What we learned …

1. Live by the 3, die by the 3

The Knicks have been enthralled with the long-range shot all season — and it helped spur them to a quick 18-5 start to the season — but Monday night wasn’t their best showing as they shot a collective 18.5 percent. The terrible shooting included a 2-of-12 display from behind the arc in the first half. Conversely, the Warriors scorched the nets with 55 percent shooting from 3-point land, led by Curry’s six made 3-pointers.

2. Temper, temper

The Knicks have a habit of letting their emotions get the best of them any time adversity hit, and Monday night wasn’t any different as the Knicks’ frustration crested with a 64-40 deficit and 6:51 remaining in the third quarter. J.R. Smith was given a flagrant-two foul on rookie forward Harrison Barnes that called for an immediate ejection. It wasn’t the first time Smith was tossed for issuing an unnecessarily rough foul out of frustration, as he was also ejected in Indiana earlier this season. The largest lead was a 74-47 Warriors advantage with 2:48 remaining in the third quarter. Perhaps New York would’ve been better served trying to win the game instead of trying to bully a team that wasn’t engaging in the silly fouls.

3. Diamond in the rough

About the only bright spot for the Knicks was the play of Chris Copeland. The 28-year-old rookie has been buried on the bench — and in Woodson’s doghouse — for months, but almost out of necessity was Copeland allowed to do what he does best, and that’s score. Copeland finished with 15 points, and most of that came in the first 2 1/2 quarters when the game wasn’t a total disaster yet, as the Knicks cut the deficit to as low as 15 midway through the third stanza. Copeland may have actually given Woodson a reason to play him more, especially with Amar’e Stoudemire out for the regular season, and his replacement, Kenyon Martin, not offering anything on the offensive end.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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UPDATE: March 7, 10:30 a.m.

Carmelo Anthony was a scratch, as expected, in Wednesday night’s 87-77 win over the Pistons.

Anthony is still listed as questionable for tonight’s match up with the Thunder, but the outlook may be less positive today. Head coach Mike Woodson admitted at Wednesday’s shootaround that Anthony did not just have soreness in his right knee — as previously reported — but had fluid buildup in the knee.

Kurt Thomas replaced Anthony at forward in the starting lineup, instead of Amar’e Stoudemire, against the Pistons. Thomas played just four minutes, however, while Stoudemire contributed 31 minutes off the bench.

————————————-

The Knicks might’ve stumbled on to something in the aftermath of Carmelo Anthony’s knee injury Monday night in Cleveland.

While their MVP candidate remains day-to-day recovering from soreness in his right knee — and is also listed as questionable for Thursday night’s tilt with Oklahoma City — the Knicks might’ve gotten back to the same efficient offense that spurred them to an 18-5 start, and what also propelled them to overcome a 22-point deficit in Cleveland.

Anthony is second in the league in scoring at 28.2 points per game, just mere percentage points behind leader Kevin Durant (28.6) of the soon-to-be visiting Thunder. But as wonderful as Anthony has been this season, the Knicks’ offense runs more efficiently utilizing head coach Mike Woodson’s ball-swing offense, instead of the recent trend of giving the ball to their leading scorer and idly watching him go to work.

The Knicks certainly need Anthony at 100 percent against the Thunder, but should he sit out (they’re 3-4 without him), Woodson should be encouraged that the team has showed they can distribute the scoring responsibilities and are seemingly back to their sharing ways. New York had 23 assists on 36 made field goals against the Cavs. And while none of the starters reached double figures in scoring, the bench carried the way with 70 of the 102 points, which also showed they are capable of generating offense in Anthony’s absence.

Amar’e Stoudemire led the way with 22 points in a season-high 32 minutes — despite Woodson being forced to give his power forward a 30-minute cap. And should Stoudemire continue to ascend and be more comfortable in his expanding role, the Knicks just may finally have someone other than Anthony who’s able to close out games.

“If needed, I’m pretty sure I’ll play however amount of minutes I need to play and do whatever role coach wants,” said Stoudemire.

Since returning to the lineup following a two-month absence after his offseason knee debridement procedure, Stoudemire has averaged nearly 16 points and six rebounds during his 23 games. He’s also converted 63.1 percent of his field-goal attempts and is shooting 81.1 percent from the foul line.

Immediately following the Cavs’ game, Woodson hinted that Stoudemire should be a bigger factor down the stretch – even if Anthony returns for the Thunder game and regardless of the perceived chemistry issues between the two. Woodson also noted, however, that it’s unlikely that Stoudemire will start if Anthony sits out the game.

“The thing with Amar’e is that I’m on a minute restriction, and I’m trying to gauge it as I go along,” Woodson said, adding he’ll experiment with the idea of keeping a bigger lineup that’ll feature Stoudemire, Anthony and Tyson Chandler on the floor more down the stretch. “We’re pretty happy when him [Stoudemire], Melo and Tyson are on the court together. … [Stoudemire] needs to be in the game more at the end, [because] while it’s a tough matchup for us guarding perimeter players, it’s also to our advantage offensively going big.”

And for a team like the Thunder that boasts a frontline featuring the 6-foot-9 Durant, the shot-blocking Serge Ibaka and wide-body center Kendrick Perkins, it may be in the Knicks’ best option to go with the big lineup.

Knicks notes

» Power forward Kenyon Martin was signed to a second 10-day contract on Tuesday, despite playing only five minutes since originally signing with the team on Feb. 21.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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Carmelo Anthony left Monday night’s win over the Cavaliers in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Beyond that, not much else is known.

Anthony spoke after the game, and alluded to the fact that the injury was a continuing issue — but nothing to be seriously concerned about. He called the issue “definitely not serious.”

“It’s just sore, not pain — sore and stiffness,” Anthony told reporters. “It’s been going on for a while now.”

Anthony said he’d received an MRI recently, which came up negative. Trainers also checked his ACL last night and detected no issue. No new tests are scheduled, but the Knicks said Anthony would be re-evaluated Tuesday.

“I don’t know [the severity]; I haven’t had a chance to talk to him,” head coach Mike Woodson said after the game. “We’ll know a little bit more tomorrow when we get to Detroit. … It was bothering him a little bit.”

Anthony said the knee bothered him when he woke up Monday morning.

“I came out here and I tried to warm up and I thought it was going to loosen up before the game, but some of the things that I was doing I felt like I was dragging it,” Anthony said.

Anthony played just 14 minutes and had only six points.

He is currently second in the NBA to Kevin Durant, scoring 28.2 points per game, which is tied for the second highest total of his career (2009-10).

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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The Knicks entered Sunday’s matinee with the Heat feeling confident they could close the 6 1/2 game gap in the Eastern Conference. But judging by their crushing 99-93 loss — a defeat that featured a blown 16-point lead — maybe that was just wishful thinking.

The Heat (43-14) stormed back for its franchise-record 14th-straight win on the strength of LeBron James’s 29 points, as the Knicks showed exactly why they are not yet on Miami’s level, despite leading the season series, 2-1. James also added 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals to push their lead over the Knicks to 7 1/2 games.

Knicks center Tyson Chandler was disappointed in the way the game unfolded, as he thought the Knicks gift-wrapped the comeback.

“I thought this was a very winnable game,” said Chandler. “I walk out of this building thinking that we let one go.”

The Knicks (35-21) had a lead as large as 16 points in the first half, but the Heat used a 28-18 advantage in the third quarter to claw their way back into the game. Shane Battier gave the Heat their first lead since 30-29 in the second quarter when he drilled his fourth 3-pointer for the 82-81 lead. The game was nip-and-tuck for the remainder of regulation. But ultimately it was Miami’s stingy defense (they allowed just 16 points in the fourth quarter), untimely miscues from the Knicks (two costly J.R. Smith turnovers and a bevy of ill-advised shots) and timely buckets from James and Chris Bosh, which give them the win.

Head coach Mike Woodson was pleased to see a slumping Jason Kidd (14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 on 3-pointers) shake his doldrums, but the coach wasn’t in the mood to extol the virtues of moral victories.

“Kidd came out of his shooting slump and made some shots, but we just didn’t finish the game,” said Woodson. “We only played one half and you have to play two. … I think we knew what was at stake, we just didn’t close out. But expectations are still high. We’re still ahead in the division. We just need to handle our business and not look over our shoulders [because] we’re in a fight.”

By showing such fight, the Heat showed why they are the defending champions and the class of the conference.

“We got stops and made a couple of baskets when we needed it most,” said James, who had a terrific block of the 7-foot-1 Chandler on a layup attempt in the final moments. “But that’s what you have to do when you’re behind and need a comeback.”

James added the game was just as important to Miami as it was to New York, mostly to show their rival their place in the pecking order.

“We came out with a sense of urgency, especially in the second half. We just continued to fight,” James said. “It’s good to get wins like this, just knowing that we can go out and compete against one of the best teams in the East at a tough venue like the Garden.”

But while the loss should have been demoralizing for a Knicks squad that blew such a lead, they still sounded confident afterward. Perhaps it’s because they still hold the season series advantage and appear to be one of the few bad matchups for the Heat.

“We’ve just got to keep moving on,” said Iman Shumpert. “We had some chances, so we know we’ve got to keep it moving.”

The Knicks can perhaps still take solace in defeat because the Heat’s largest lead was six points, and that didn’t happen until Bosh canned a 15-foot- jumper with 1:06 remaining for the 97-91 lead.

Carmelo Anthony did all he could by scoring a game-high 32 points, but he was suffocated by James in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and conspicuously watched as guys like Kidd and Smith took forced shots.

Bosh in particular took great pride in the win. But while stopping short of saying it was a must-win situation, he acknowledged finally beating the Knicks this season and at the Garden, no less, was a boost in the team’s morale.

“It’s about beating the Knicks,’’ said Bosh, who had 16 points. “Winning streaks come and go. Most importantly, this game meant something because we have a chance to see them again in the postseason, especially late [rounds]. … We don’t want them to have a ton of confidence going forward.

“Of course we’re always confident, but you also have to know you can beat a team. We couldn’t just drop these first three games to them and think everything was OK. We had to know that we can beat them here, too.’’

Dwyane Wade was more defiant about the early success the Knicks had on the Heat, even though Anthony didn’t play in one of New York’s 20-point wins. Wade added that all that matters is postseason performance, although it was nice to win at the Garden.

“Yeah, it was good to get that [revenge],’’ Wade said. “But a couple of teams have beaten us before. Psychologically, we were always fine, because we’ve lost to teams in the regular season and beaten them in the playoffs. … It was just good to get this one because we’ll possibly face them in the playoffs.’’

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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