Professional sports are mostly black or white — and about wins or losses — which explains Iman Shumpert’s view of the 2012-13 season.

“We failed. We didn’t do what we were supposed to do,” Shumpert said during his season-ending exit interview session with the media on Monday.

Despite earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, winning 54 regular season games and enjoying the franchise’s most successful season this decade, Shumpert doesn’t look back fondly on a season that ended far earlier than he, his teammates and the rabid fanbase expected.

“At least the Eastern Conference finals,” said Shumpert, when asked his minimum expectations for the Knicks this postseason. “We knew we were supposed to go farther and we didn’t.”

Shumpert, who spoke barely above a whisper during his session, seemed wise beyond his years when discussing the current state — and forthcoming prospects — of the Knicks.

He thinks the unevenness of the collective effort from game to game caused his team’s early exit.

“We just have to hold each other accountable. Come next year, little things like not playing hard should never come into play. Letting a game slip at home should never come into play. Getting beat on the boards when that’s an emphasis coming into a series should never happen,” Shumpert said. “We have to take care of the little things and we didn’t. And it caught up to us.”

Shumpert’s veteran teammates didn’t sound as pessimistic about the Knicks’ season or their fortune going forward. To a man, every other veteran who was allowed to speak towed the company line in saying they believe this season was basically a trial run considering it was the first time this unit played together.

“I’m going to say it was a great year. It was a great year, great run. Definitely a huge step from years in the past, [and] something to build on,” Raymond Felton said. “Definitely not satisfying but, you know [we] can’t really be too upset. I think we had a great year overall. We did a lot of special things this year. So all this is about now is just capitalizing and building on it.”

Perhaps Felton’s optimism should be taken with a grain of salt, considering the point guard actually felt he had a “pretty good performance in the playoffs.”

But Carmelo Anthony essentially agreed with Felton’s outlook that the Knicks can still contend, and thinks the future is bright.

“We’re right there, I mean we’re right there,” Anthony said. “When you recap this whole season, it’s just some detail-oriented things that we kind of got to fix. … I don’t think we underachieved. We made strides forward. We made huge steps. When I first got here in New York, I always said this was a process, [and that] this was going to take two to three years. This was the first year the pieces to the puzzle started to fall into place. … We’ve set a standard, [and] kind of teased the city of New York a little bit, because now everybody expects us to play at this high level. Eventually something has to happen. We want to win the championship, that’s the goal, and we’re going to keep striving for that. I feel very confident about that.”

Knicks notes …

» Shumpert said the coaches want him to play in Las Vegas summer league, and added he’s excited about doing so because he desires to be “under coaching and under coach’s wing” all summer. It’ll be the first time he’s done so since he missed his rookie campaign (lockout) and last season’s (ACL injury) summer league.

» Among the players who didn’t speak to the media today were J.R. Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire and Jason Kidd. The Knicks brass, however, will allow Woodson and team president Glen Grunwald speak with the media on Tuesday.

» Anthony admitted that he will have his left shoulder checked out and see what kind of therapy and rehab it needs. Anthony also declined to look ahead at what he’ll do next season in regard to his opt-out clause at the end of next season, because it would be “selfish” to think about that scenario and didn’t want to “jump the gun.”

» Chris Copeland said he wants to come back next season, and will be twisting in the wind until the Knicks decide what to do with the 29-year-old rookie. The team must make him a qualifying offer by June 30.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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What was originally thought to be just some minor soreness has suddenly gotten very concerning for Iman Shumpert.

The Knicks said Tuesday morning they will fly in an orthopedic surgeon to look at Shumpert’s surgically repaired knee. Shumpert tore his ACL in the opening game of the 2012 NBA playoffs. Shumpert returned to game action Jan. 17 and slowly progressed to full health.

But now he appears to have suffered a setback. Shumpert did not practice Monday or Tuesday with swelling in the knee.

“They [the doctors] will direct me where to go with Iman,” head coach Mike Woodson told reporters at Tuesday’s morning shootaround.

He is still listen as a game-time decision.

In the series-clinching game against the Celtics in the opening round, Shumpert shut down Paul Pierce and resurrected talk of him as one of the top perimeter defenders in the league.

Shumpert did not seem too concerned on Monday, expressing he planned to play in Tuesday’s crucial Game 4. He called the injury simply “a knee bruise” and vowed to play.

Shumpert struggled in the Knicks’ Game 3 loss, shooting 3-of-10 with just eight points, though he did have 10 rebounds. He had scored in double digits five straight postseason games.

In other health news, both Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith said they would be fine to go in Game 4. Both had suffered with the flu over the past few days and hadn’t practiced.

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

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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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Nets general manager Billy King handicapped the odds of a trade before the deadline as 10 percent on Tuesday.

As the 3 p.m. deadline passed on Thursday, it turned out that King’s prognostication was accurate as the frenzy passed without any move.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, who doubted his team’s interest in making a trade all week, proved correct as well. The Knicks let the deadline pass with only a minor deal. Reserve guard Ronnie Brewer was traded to the Thunder for a second-round draft pick. Brewer had played just 25 minutes total in the past 14 games.

Rumors of a deal involving guard Iman Shumpert abounded all week, but they didn’t come to pass in the end.

The Net roster remained the same and it seemed to reiterate the confidence King has in the team that spent $330 million on an overhaul this summer

“To be honest with you, Billy King has said from the beginning that if there is something out there that will make us a better team going forward, he’s gonna do it,” Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said on ESPN radio earlier Thursday afternoon. “But, the thing that all GMs say is that they are not gonna do a deal for the sake of doing one. So, you know, it’s really what’s gonna happen in the last couple hours.

“If someone changes off of what they’re offering or what they’re looking for, Billy’s not afraid of doing something. We have some pretty good pieces if we want to make a deal, but unless it’s something he feels is gonna help us long term, then he’s not gonna do it.”

King’s last two trading deadlines have seem him acquire Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace from Utah and Portland respectively. Along the way he acquired Joe Johnson, tried to trade for Dwight Howard but re-signed Brook Lopez when he was unable to swing a deal with Orlando.

The Nets had been linked to Josh Smith, a restricted free agent not expected to re-sign with the Hawks. They also had been linked to Paul Millsap of Utah and Ben Gordon of Charlotte, but nothing seemed to develop to the point where King was willing to pull the trigger.

Had King been able to swing a deal for Smith, the move would have upgraded the power forward position. The current rotation is Reggie Evans, whose offensive shortcomings don’t necessarily overshadow his rebounding ability, and Kris Humphries, who began the year in the starting lineup and is having a disappointing season.

“I like to make trades when I think there’s a trade to make that can help the team,” King said Tuesday. “And I think we’re at a point now where this group’s gotta play together more than shaking it up and bringing in a bunch of pieces.”

Humphries was among the Nets being mentioned in trade rumors, but being in the first year of a two-year, $24 million deal may have shied some trade partners away, since expiring contracts are considered the most attractive asset in many NBA deals.

Humphries was re-signed after averaging career highs of 13.8 points and 11 rebounds during the lockout-shortened season while on a one-year, $8 million contract.

The other potential assets for King in any deal would have been second-year guard Marshon Brooks and a first-round draft pick. Brooks has struggled to crack the rotation though he has shown flashes. With the Nets being 33-22, the pick is likely to be past the 20th selection in the first round and King surrendered three first-round picks in the deals for Wallace and Williams.

The Nets currently are $13.5 million over the salary cap negotiated in the last CBA and even if Smith does not return to Atlanta, it seems unlikely he will come to Brooklyn even in a sign-and-trade since the team has $85 million in salary commitments for next season.

Ironically, Smith seemed close to joining the Bucks, whom the Nets just swept a home-and-home from. Reports, however, indicated that the Hawks backed out of a deal at the last minute that would have sent Ekpe Udoh, Luc Mbah a Moute, Beno Udrih and a protected first-round pick from Milwaukee.

Smith is part of a free agent class that includes Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Brandon Jennings, Millsap, Manu Ginobili and Andre Iguodala.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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The Knicks got back to work Tuesday, expecting to stay in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while also expecting to see the same players that practiced to remain a part of the team when the trade deadline passes Thursday.

Head coach Mike Woodson saw his aging team limp into the All-Star break on a 1-3 skid, but as Tuesday’s session brought back forwards Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby — albeit on a limited basis — Woodson said he believes what he had on the floor for Tuesday’s workout will be “the same guys” who’ll fight for Atlantic Division and conference supremacy going forward.

“I don’t think we have anything working,” Woodson said about the many floating trade rumors involving the Knicks. “You always talk, but we like the makeup of our team.”

Woodson also likes the makeup of his starting five, regardless if Jason Kidd seemingly ran out of gas down the stretch before the break, and shooting guard Iman Shumpert struggled while playing out of position as the starting small forward.

Tuesday was the first time all season all 15 guys on the roster worked out together. The sightings of Wallace and Camby were particularly encouraging, specifically since both forwards offer the type of defensive flexibility Woodson craves.

The Knicks (32-18) have tailed off for an extended period since starting 18-5. And without the services of the 6-foot-11 Wallace, they’ve gone 15-13 since he last played played on Dec. 13. Wallace didn’t practice fully with the team — nor talk to the media following practice — instead choosing to get his foot fitted with protective footwear. But grumpy disposition aside, his teammates were happy to see him back in the mix — although no one knows for sure when he’ll actually return to game action.

Center Tyson Chandler said that he feels with guys like Wallace and Camby back in the mix, the Knicks’ defense will get back to its stingy ways.

“We have to get back on the same page throughout entire games and throughout entire streaks,” Chandler said. “We’ve shown that we can play with the best, especially in spurts. But in order to be the best, it can’t be spurts. It has to be full-time. … Definitely getting those guys back will help.”

These next few days leading up to the trade deadline will be critical for the Knicks, especially for Wallace. He may be one of Woodson’s favorites, but should Wallace’s stress reaction worsen into a stress fracture, he’ll be of no good to the Knicks. These next few workouts will be crucial, because if Wallace’s foot doesn’t appear to be getting better, the rumors of adding free agents like Kenyon Martin or Louis Amundson will get louder — and make Wallace expendable.

Chandler basically scoffed when asked if distractions like rumors of trading Shumpert or jettisoning Wallace will harm the team’s renewed focus, saying the veteran-laden team knows what it has to do to remain a title contender.

“You’re going to have your ups and downs,” Chandler said. “What you have to do is take a deep breath and understand ultimately what the goal is — to keep your eyes on [the title hopes] and never stray from it.”

Knicks notes

» The Knicks better get back on track quickly, because the second-half schedule isn’t very kind to them. New York has 19 games against teams with winning records, including two each against the Heat and Thunder. And while they’re actually 2-0 against the Heat, Miami is looking like a team that’s starting to peak. The Knicks also face the challenge of having only 14 of its remaining 32 games at home, so they can no longer afford to drop games to inferior teams like they did in Washington before the break.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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The Knicks have battled inconsistencies for months now, despite their impressive record atop the Atlantic Division, so it’s natural to think that a changeup may be needed. Just don’t count on Iman Shumpert being moved as a way to shake up things.

Following a report over the weekend that the Suns were inquiring about a trade scenario involving Shumpert, Knicks head coach Mike Woodson had to shoot down the rumors — with a caveat.

“Iman’s a big part of what we do [and] I’ve got a lot of faith in Iman. This organization does, too. We’ll get him where he needs to be, [but] it’s going to take a little time. He’s been kind of on a little roller-coaster ride, so my job is to continue to show him some love and assure him he’s a part of what we do,” Woodson said, adding the catch. “If owners came to me and said we have to do a deal, then you do the deal. [But] as I told my daughter [who is friends with Shumpert from their Georgia Tech days], ‘Iman’s going to be right here with me.’”

Shumpert said he’s not really thinking about the rumors, noting it’s part of the business. The swingman, who’s played only 12 games this season after missing the first two months following rehab on his torn left ACL, added Woodson immediately came to him once the story broke and reassured him.

“He said don’t worry about it,” Shumpert said. “Rumors are rumors.”

Carmelo Anthony, who may have as much power as any player within the organization, nearly guaranteed that his buddy is safe from the trading block, saying Shumpert “isn’t going nowhere … He doesn’t have to worry about that. The Knicks shouldn’t even be in trade talks.”

Perhaps the Suns thought they could get Shumpert on the cheap, considering his diminished stats and knee recovery. But more pressing than trying to get a bargain, the Suns have reportedly been kicking themselves since they passed on Shumpert in the 2011 NBA Draft and are trying to correct a wrong. They even went as far as to push the Knicks to include him in any sign-and-trade scenarios that were discussed for Steve Nash in July. And in the past week, the Suns had sent scouts to Knicks games to see the object of their affection.

Phoenix reportedly offered veteran swingman Jared Dudley and possibly a first-round pick for Shumpert. Dudley has three years and $12.8 million left on his contract and is averaging 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds this season.

And while Dudley is a serviceable player, who by all accounts is a great teammate, a good 3-point shooter (39 percent) and a willing defender, the trade “doesn’t make sense” on New York’s end, noted a Knicks official. Woodson and his staff have always held to their beliefs that Shumpert could be a special player once he’s 100-percent recovered. The second-year player is averaging only 5.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18.9, while shooting a paltry 34.3 percent from the field, but Shumpert has started all 12 games since his return from the knee injury and is getting better, Woodson said.

The Knicks’ official said Shumpert’s real value is his youth, energy, athleticism and ability to defend multiple wing positions — even if the Knicks are currently struggling to defend opposing wing players. Shumpert’s contract is also a plus for the Knicks. He’s set to make $1.6 million this season, $1.7 million next season and $2.6 million in 2014-15. Those cheap numbers — relative to the NBA’s market value — make Shumpert real valuable to the Knicks.

Woodson said once his shooting guard completely recovers, the real value will be on the defensive end.

“I’m happy as [heck] to have him back on the floor. He brings us so much energy, and his teammates feed off of him,” Woodson said. “The thing about Rook is that he can defend four positions, can play the 1 [point guard] or the 2 [shooting guard], and he can handle the basketball, which will relieve [Jason] Kidd and Raymond [Felton] of always handling it so much. … It’s just nice to have him back.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

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