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.

The post Knicks paint varying opinions as they pack up for season appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks eliminated from playoffs with Game 6 loss to Pacers appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks stave off elimination with Game 5 win over Pacers appeared first on Metro.us.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson is fiercely loyal, which may be why he finds his team down 3-1 to the Pacers.

Woodson, a coach veterans love playing for, is banking on his aging squad to reward his faith by finally knocking down the open shots they used to. A strong believer in staying with the vets, no matter how badly they’re shooting, Woodson said following Wednesday’s practice he has no plans of tinkering too much with his rotation.

“I will never kick J-Kidd to the curb,” Woodson said of Jason Kidd, who has yet to even score this series. “Kidd has been a positive for our club, our franchise and these players that play around him. We all still believe in Kidd. My thing is that he still does the intangibles. He might not score the ball, but he still does the things that help you win.”

Contrary to Woodson’s statement, Kidd has taken away production from the team. Kidd’s plus-minus is a staggering minus-21 in the three losses.

The coach allowed that going big by starting Kenyon Martin over Pablo Prigioni in Game 4 ended up backfiring. Martin (five rebounds, three assists and two blocks) didn’t score in his 29 minutes, while Prigioni was only on the floor for 3:26.

Such an egregious swing and miss is likely what has given Woodson pause to do any more subtle changes, even though guys like Copeland and Steve Novak are itching to do get on the floor.

“We’re contemplating [going back to Prigioni], but I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. That smaller lineup has been great for us for two [or] three months. But I went away from that [in Game 4] to go big and a lot of that was based on guys not being in practice and not being too sure about Iman,” said Woodson. “I didn’t want to bring [Shumpert] off [the bench] because I didn’t want him going in stiff. That [smaller] lineup has worked for us this year, so there’s a strong chance we’ll go back to that. … Bottom line is, our backs are against the wall, so tomorrow night is a must-win.”

Despite things looking bleak, the Knicks still believe. Woodson said he’s “curious” to see how his team reacts, while Shumpert said he accepts the task of trying to achieve the rare feat of coming back to win a series after being down 3-1.

“I embrace the challenge. It’s one game at a time, but it’s been done before, so we just have to win,” said Shumpert. “We’re good. We’re back at home. Guys are getting shots up, and Rasheed [Wallace] is out here talking up a storm keeping us loose. I think being back home and seeing that ball go in for us will do us a lot of good.”

Woodson agreed that guys were loose during their morning session, crediting a veteran team that never seems to panic.

“I’m very curious because our backs are against the wall. It’s a must-win that we have to get tomorrow night. We haven’t had our backs against the wall too much this season so we’re being tested,” Woodson said. “But I feel good about going into tomorrow night’s game. And if we win tomorrow night, it’ll put us in position [to extend] this series and go back [to Indiana]. And then we’ll see what they’re made of. First thing, though, tomorrow is a must-win game.”

Knicks notes …

» Woodson said Amar’e Stoudemire’s production has been a nice surprise, but he doesn’t foresee the former franchise player contributing too much more than he’s already done, simply because of the minutes restriction the team’s medical staff has placed on him.

“He’s only played 10 [or] 12 minutes in his two games and his minutes have been pretty positive.”

» Since his declaration that had he played in Game 4 instead of being suspended the Knicks would’ve won and he’d “be fishing,” J.R. Smith has shot a mere 29 percent from the field. Woodson, though, put the blame at his feet and not the players.

“It’s not about all of that. I’m the head coach, so blame it on me. The bottom line is that if we don’t have the slippage at home in Game 1 to start the series then we’re standing here feeling pretty good about ourselves. Right now, my job is to get us out of that hole.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks unlikely to make changes before must-win Game 5 appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks season slipping away with Game 4 loss appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks concerned about Iman Shumpert knee injury appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks essentially face a must-win game tomorrow night in Indiana, because as good as they are, they do not want to face the prospect of being down 3-1 to the Pacers.

And with such an important game, it should mean that all hands on deck.

But if this series has taught Knicks fans anything, it’s that head coach Mike Woodson only trusts a select few to play meaningful minutes. Woodson’s rotation has been very light on minutes for the fringe guys, even though those same guys have shown they can offer the team quality minutes in spurts.

But with an apparent flu bug that’s going around the team — J.R. Smith had it first, and now it seems that Kenyon Martin is coming down with it — Woodson may finally be pressed into expanding his rotation.

Following Sunday’s practice session, in which both Smith and Martin sat out, Woodson said he might have to change his strategy to more “mixing and matching” the rotation.

“At this stage of the game, most playoff teams are pretty set [in their rotations], but we’re jumping around a little bit now,” Woodson said. “We’ve going to need everybody playing Tuesday night on all high cylinders, because we don’t want to go back home down 3-1. That would be a tough climb for us.”

As the sense of urgency rises for the No. 2-seed Knicks, they aren’t necessarily in a position to be picky, not with Smith giving virtually nothing, Jason Kidd yet to score a point in the series and Raymond Felton shooting 1-of-8 in Game 3.

Defensively, the Knicks are just as solid as the Pacers, as they’re only allowing 87.6 points per game. It’s on the offensive end, however, they’re struggling immensely. In their two losses they shot 43 percent in Game 1 at the Garden and then 35 percent in Game 3 at Indiana. They were also severely outrebounded in those two losses, 44-24 and 44-30, respectively.

The former stat could see a boost with more time for Chris Copeland, while the latter can likely be fixed with more time for Marcus Camby or Earl Barron. Woodson, though, has routinely used eight players in this series, with a sprinkling of Copeland here and there. The Game 3 loss featured eight players — nine, if Amar’e Stoudemire’s 8:56 minutes of action is included as significant help. Steve Novak (1:53 minutes of action), Quentin Richardson (1:48) and Copeland (58 seconds) were nonentities.

The Game 1 matchup saw nine guys check in, not including Camby who only saw 12 seconds of action. Copeland saw limited time, too, but actually had some success by scoring six points in eight minutes. He hasn’t seen much action since, averaging barely seven minutes per game in the series.

The likes of Copeland, Camby and Barron won’t be game changers, but it’s also not absurd to say they can give the sagging Knicks offense and rebounding a boost.

“When you hold a team to 82 points on their floor, you’ve got to think that you’ve got a chance to win. With our team, I never thought we couldn’t score 82 points,” said Woodson. “We definitely need everybody to do more [scoring], but I’m not OK with [Carmelo Anthony] taking three shots [in the fourth quarter], so he’s got to take more shots, too.”

Knicks notes …

» Amar’e Stoudemire said he’s on a 15-minute max policy for the playoffs and added he’s “fine” with it.

“I’ll follow the doctors’ orders. I have no control over what the doctors say. Whatever they say goes,” Stoudemire said. “My job is with the time that I’m out there, I have to be productive and apply some type of leadership and structure out on the court.”

» Smith and Martin did not practice again on Monday, as they’re both still dealing with illnesses. Woodson called Smith and Martin “gametime decisions.”

» Iman Shumpert (sore left knee) also didn’t practice, as the second-year guard said he’s dealing with “a knee bruise.” Although it’s on the surgically repaired knee, Shumpert vowed to play in Game 4.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks facing must-win with flu bug limiting roster appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Hibbert, Pacers dominate Knicks in Game 3 loss appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks’ J.R. Smith getting chance to work on shot appeared first on Metro.us.

The post VIDEO: Iman Shumpert’s monster dunk against the Pacers appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks bounced back in a big way Tuesday night, but must now suffer the scheduling quirk of having to wait until Saturday night to play Game 3.

But despite the unreasonable waiting time and the stoppage in momentum, a few good things can come from the wait. Point guard Raymond Felton tweaked an ankle toward the end of the third quarter of the blowout win, and did not return, so the extra rest will do him well. Felton was seen limping around the locker room after the win but said during his postgame interview that he’s “fine.”

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson agreed Felton seemed fine and took him out mostly out of precaution because of the damage the 30-2 run did to the Pacers.

Woodson said they’ll need a healthy Felton because of the amount of pick-and-roll they run, and the options that come off of that set.

“Raymond is a big piece of the puzzle. He runs that pick-and-roll great – especially if everybody runs it right and separates correctly [because] then somebody’s always gonna be open,” Woodson said. “When the ball is not stopped, any number of guys have an opportunity to be a part of the play and be a playmaker and either score or pass it. … We’re not the only team that runs it. There’s a number of teams in our league that run it, but it has been a successful play for us throughout the season and Raymond is the reason why.”

The Knicks had a scheduled day off from practice Wednesday, but Felton acknowledged he’ll still be able to get in a light workout, and will “definitely” be ready for Game 3.

Another benefit of the gap between games is that Amar’e Stoudemire will also get the chance to continue to test his knee and see if he’ll be ready for his first appearance of the postseason, Saturday.

Woodson thinks all will be well with Stoudemire’s knee, as it held up during a 3-on-3 full-court session earlier in the week and another workout during Tuesday morning’s shootaround.

“He didn’t have any setbacks after going 3-on-3, and after [Wednesday’s workout] we’ll weigh it out again, and again on Thursday and see where he is,” Woodson said. “And then Friday we’ll try and get him in a 5-on-5 setting and finally see where he is. … If he doesn’t have any setbacks, we’ll probably dress him on Saturday.”

Tyson Chandler is looking forward to getting Stoudemire back in the mix, and feels the break does more good than harm – even if the gap breaks the Knicks’ momentum.

“Obviously we need Amar’e to get time, but the only way to get that is when he is practicing,” said Chandler, adding Stoudemire can even help on the boards despite not being known as a top-flight rebounder. “A lot of times if I am boxing out [Roy] Hibbert and Melo [Carmelo Anthony] is tangled with David [West], we are not able to get the rebound. So, to have him there or have the guards help crash will be a huge help.”

Knicks notes …

Woodson finished third in the Coach of the Year award, behind winner George Karl of the Nuggets (a team loaded with former Knicks) and Erik Spoelstra of the Heat. Woodson received six first-place votes and 26 second-place votes.

Steve Novak didn’t see much action in Game 2 as he’s still working his way through back spasms. Novak only played 4:55 and didn’t score, missing one shot. As of right now, because of his back condition, it appears that 29-year-old rookie Chris Copeland has temporarily passed him in the rotation. Copeland didn’t score in his 11 minutes of action, going 0-of-4.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Long layoff allowing Knicks to get healthy appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks not panicking, making changes after Game 1 loss appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks lose Game 1 to Pacers in convincing fashion appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks hold off Celtics charge, advance to second round appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Series slipping away as Knicks never in Game 5 appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post J.R. Smith won’t acknowledge Jason Terry, elbow incident appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Celtics still alive after holding off Knicks in OT appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks take commanding 3-0 series lead on Boston appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks pull away from Celtics in second half of Game 2 appeared first on Metro.us.

Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith’s career is a paradox, so it should come as no surprise his regular season ended with a bit of irony, as he was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year on Monday.

Smith publicly bristled at the start of this campaign when head coach Mike Woodson declined his pleas to start while regular shooting guard Iman Shumpert was rehabbing from a torn ACL.

When Smith took to the podium, the usually affable and fun-loving player was humbled and said he was “speechless” as to all the attention and respect given to him via the award. But he was able to thank everyone, including team owner James Dolan, team president Glen Grunwald, his teammates, family and the guy who made him a reserve in the first place.

“We bumped heads time to time, but I appreciate everything that he’s done for me,” Smith said about Woodson, followed by a mischievous smile. “I’ve been known as such a selfish player for so long, I just wanted to show everybody that I can be a team guy and it’s all about team.”

Smith, who averaged 18.1 points off the bench to lead all NBA reserves, was the team’s second-best offensive option, one of their most durable players (playing 80 games and only sitting because Woodson rested his starters down the stretch) and sometimes the team’s calming influence.

Woodson acknowledged all wasn’t rosy in the player-coach dynamic, but credited Smith for coming around and accepting what was best for the team.

“I just felt that what was the best for this team was for J.R. coming off the bench. Before the season, J.R. and I had a long talk about his role this season and J.R. accepted the role in grand style. He did everything he was supposed to do,” Woodson said. “It’s not about winning individual awards, it’s about the team winning, and J.R. had a lot to do with that by his play coming off the bench.”

Woodson finished his portion of the press conference sounding like the proud father figure he’s become to his player.

“J.R., he could’ve started for a lot of teams, but he’s accepted his role and as a result we benefited as a team. I couldn’t be more proud of him. It’s a beautiful thing,” said Woodson.

Many who dealt with Smith in his earlier years may do a double-take at all the praise being heaped on Smith, considering the ultra-athletic guard rarely combined savvy and good decisions on or off the floor. Yet, here is Smith, now 27 years old and a nine-year veteran, as one of the most important players on a championship-level squad.

Teammate Kenyon Martin was with him during his wild Nuggets days and said the teenage Smith he played with then and the man he plays with now is like night and day.

“It’s huge. He’s been playing great all season. It’s just a testament to all the hard work he’s put in all year and keeping his head on [straight] the way he has all year,” Martin said, smiling when recounting the younger Smith. “I played with him nine years ago when he was just a kid, but he’s turned into a grown man now. I think he has some better people around him, which is huge. And he’s learning. He learned on the fly, but that’s all you can do when you get in this league.”

Shumpert, one of the younger guys still learning on the fly, said he has nothing but respect for Smith and the way he’s helped Carmelo Anthony lead this team.

“He deserved it. He’s been working hard all year, doing the little things like coming in early and getting shots up, or staying late and getting shots up,” Shumpert said. “And when Melo went down he came through and led us every time we needed him. … And he accepted whatever role and did anything that was asked of him [like] coming off the bench and getting big baskets for us all year. My hat goes off to him.”

Martin noted one of the biggest factors in Smith’s ascension to top-flight NBA talent is the maturity he’s shown in the actual games.

“He’s been attacking the basket. He’s not settling for the jumper, even though he’s one of the best shooters in the league,” Martin said, recalling one of Smith’s most memorable accomplishments. “He’s tied the NBA record for most 3s in a game, but the most important part of his game now is getting to the line. He’s making it easier on himself.”

Thankfully for Woodson and the Knicks, Smith made it easier on all parties involved to become a reserve and, at least temporarily, let go of his starting aspirations.

Knicks notes …

» Smith received 484 of a possible 1,084 points, including 72 first-place votes. He easily beat Clippers shooting guard — and former Knicks’ guard — Jamal Crawford (352 points, 31 first-place votes).

» Smith led all NBA reserves in 30-point games (seven) and 20-point games (29). He also became the first player with four 30-point games off the bench in the same month (March) since Ricky Pierce did the same in November 1990.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks’ guard J.R. Smith wins Sixth Man of the Year appeared first on Metro.us.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson held a 24-minute conference call Sunday and extolled the virtues of the defensive intensity his veteran-laden team showed in their Game 1 win.

Woodson mainly discussed the importance of Carmelo Anthony’s supporting cast — especially guys like Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin — saying they’ll be needed almost as much as his superstar player if they want to continue their playoff journey.

“Both of them are still relentless and savvy. I go back to that 2004 Detroit [championship] team when [the then-New Jersey Nets] had us against the wall big time,” Woodson said, recalling when he was an assistant coach for the Pistons. “That was really our championship series, because they were very good. And they still know how to get it done.”

Woodson quickly added they obviously need his stars, Anthony and J.R. Smith, but said whoever he calls to the floor has his full confidence.

“I have enough faith in anyone I’ve thrown out there this season to play, and for some reasons we get responses. And to me that’s the sign of a team,” Woodson said. “But we’re a better team when we have J.R. and Melo on the floor at the same time together.”

The Knicks have prepared for this playoff run unlike most teams. Instead of stockpiling young talent, they decided to go the route of acquiring guys who may be past their primes, but have much to offer in other ways.

“When you go back to when we first started the process, me, [team president] Glen [Grunwald], and [team owner Jim] Mr. Dolan had discussions in how we were going to build this team. And we were all of the mindset to build around veterans who can help us right away,” said Woodson. “We wanted guys who were serious about winning the title and putting forth the effort on and off the court. I’m very happy with the way guys have contributed one way or another to win basketball games. … Time will tell [how it ends] but we just need to go forward on our journey.”

Kidd and Martin were main contributors down the stretch in the Game 1 win, as they helped the Knicks hold the Celtics to a paltry eight points in the fourth quarter. Kidd disrupted passing lanes, dived for loose balls or played stellar help defense. Martin was his usual manic self, patrolling the lanes with the same ferocity and energy a guy 10 years younger than his actual age of 35.

“When you have Jason Kidd on the floor, and he’s been on the floor as long as he has, it makes a difference,” said Woodson. “J.R. and Melo are still in their primes — Raymond [Felton], too. But having Kidd and Kenyon on the floor at the same time gives us some stability. Those are winnable plays for winning basketball games and those were the reasons why we added those guys to our team.”

Woodson continued, adding if the Knicks get the same type of defensive effort in the early quarters, his team has a shot at something special.

“That’s what good teams are supposed to do — play defense. We’ve been solid all year, especially defensively in the fourth quarter. That’s the time you have to step up and make plays. The thing about playoff basketball is when you’re struggling to score the ball, you better make sure the other team is struggling, too,” said Woodson, adding the formula of adding old guys is paying off. “I was looking for defensive-minded guys, like Sheed [Rasheed Wallace], Kidd, Kurt [Thomas], Kenyon, even Pablo [Prigioni], who’s learned his way through this league. … If our defense is consistent, and everyone buys in, we’ll put ourselves in position to win a lot of games.”

Knicks notes …

» The Knicks don’t know if or when Amar’e Stoudemire will return, but Woodson said when he does Stoudemire will be welcomed back with open arms: “Amar’e is always going to be a big part of our team, without a doubt. He’s just progressing. When he’s going to play, I don’t know. But if he makes it back, he’ll be ready to help out and play and do what he was doing before he got hurt. It’ll just add one more good-to-great piece to the puzzle on the floor during our journey.”

» Woodson also thinks Prigioni (sprained ankle) may make it back by Game 2 on Tuesday night. And if he does, he’ll have no problem reinserting the 35-year-old rookie back into the mix, which will in turn allow more defensive flexibility: “If Pablo is put in, our starting lineup changes. So, when he’s in, we’d have Raymond on Paul [Pierce] and Iman [Shumpert] on [Jeff] Green, who’s a tough cover for anybody.”

» Tyson Chandler should get back to his normal ways sooner than later, according to Woodson: “It won’t take him long. I know [lack of conditioning] was a factor. I could tell the way he was moving. But that’s OK. That’s expected because he hasn’t played in a number of games. But that’s the point of having Kenyon, Camby and Earl [Barron] on the bench to play when needed.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Woodson credits defensive intensity for Knicks’ Game 1 win appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post NBA Playoffs: Knicks scrap by Celtics in Game 1 appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks playoff preview: Dealing with age, injuries appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks won what was essentially a glorified scrimmage when they knocked off the Hawks, 98-92, in the regular-season finale.

Wednesday night’s anti-climactic contest was missing most of each team’s main stars, as neither squad really needed the game to improve their seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

New York raced out to a 25-16 lead after the first quarter as nondescript guys like Pablo Prigioni and newly signed big man Earl Barron got the start for the Knicks (54-28). Meanwhile, the Hawks, who were trying their very best to not put forth their best effort in a way to avoid a possible second-round matchup with the No. 1 seed Heat, trotted out such stalwarts like Mike Scott, John Jenkins and Shelvin Mack. A win for the No. 6 Hawks would’ve likely boosted their playoff position, so it was obvious from the start Hawks head coach Larry Drew wasn’t yearning to start his star big men Josh Smith and Al Horford.

Prigioni, Barron and Chris Copeland took advantage of the extended playing time, however, as they performed nicely. Prigioni, who was hurt in the waning moments of the first quarter with a sprained right ankle, finished with eight points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in the first quarter before bowing out for good. X-rays on the ankle were negative.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said there was “absolutely” no reason to believe that Prigioni wouldn’t be ready for the Celtics on Saturday night, but acknowledged the ailments that plagued his already undermanned squad. The Knicks played just six players after Prigioni left for good.

“Tough game tonight. Iman [Shumpert] was mainly cramps. Cope’s [Chris Copeland] fine, although he had a helluva game. He’ll sleep good off of that tonight,” said Woodson. “Pablo could be day-to-day, but I have no reason to believe he won’t be available [Saturday night]. Earl Barron and Q [Quentin Richardson] were also just cramping up, but that’s more because they haven’t played much. … But overall, it was a good win and good effort all the way till the end.”

Barron, serving his second stint with the Knicks, tallied 11 points and a game-high 18 rebounds — including 11 boards in the first half — while Copeland added a career-high 33 points, including 18 points in the first. The performance by the journeyman Barron was especially impressive as he was added to the roster just hours before tip-off. Copeland, meanwhile, became the first Knicks rookie since Bill Cartwright in 1980 with back-to-back 30-point games.

Copeland, who banged his shoulder late in the game, said he’ll be fine, adding the career scoring night is a great way to ease his pain.

“I’m just trying to be aggressive. That’s what coach [Woodson] wanted out there to do, so I was just taking advantage of it all,” said Copeland, who added he’s tired after logging 41 minutes. “Guys were tired out there. It was a lot of minutes for just six players, but we got the win, kept fighting and it was a great way to end the season.”

Woodson also sounded particularly proud of the way his players battled — particularly Copeland.

“He’s been a real pleasant surprise. Dating back to the summer, we didn’t even know if he’d make the ball club. He just patiently sat and waited his turn. He’s gotten better, [because] the veterans around him have helped him, too,” said Woodson. “We knew he could score, but just not this. But, that being said, we still need him to think more about the other end [defense] though.”

The Hawks (44-38) were led by Jenkins, who had 20 points, including 12 points in the first half, and Scott, who also added 20 points, as the grueling regular season has finally ended for both teams.

Knicks notes …

» Carmelo Anthony sat out the game to rest his banged-up shoulder, but he still won the league’s scoring title with a 28.7 points per game average. Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant also sat out tonight’s game as he finished the season at 28.1 points per game. Woodson said he’s proud of his MVP candidate.

“He’s put a lot of time into this, since the Olympics experience all the way through this season. He never missed much of practices or the veteran camps and has been solid all across the board for this team. He’s the reason why we’re in this position we are today.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks knock off Hawks to close out regular season appeared first on Metro.us.

Rasheed Wallace’s return to basketball ended up lasting just a handful of impressive weeks.

The Knicks announced Wallace’s retirement from the NBA on Wednesday morning. It is his second retirement from the league, after he stepped away at the end of the 2009-10 season.

“Rasheed has given this team everything he had,” head coach Mike Woodson said in a statement. “He is a winner, true professional and leader on and off the court. Due to his injury, he will not be available to play for us during the playoffs.”

The forward hadn’t played since Dec. 13 with what was originally diagnosed as just a sore foot. He was listed as day-to-day, but as the DNPs piled up it was reported he had a stress reaction in his foot. But Wallace did return April 15 in what was clearly a dress rehearsal for the playoffs. It lasted only four minutes before he left with a reaggravated foot injury.

The 7-footer provided important energy in the post when Tyson Chandler was on the bench. He played just three minutes and four minutes in his first two appearances, but that quickly ballooned to averaging 14.1 minutes per game in his 21 appearances. He played over 20 minutes in three games.

Wallace finished the season with averages of exactly seven points and four rebounds per game.

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

The post Knicks announce Rasheed Wallace will retire appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks have added yet another 30-something veteran when they inked Quentin Richardson for the remainder of the season on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old forward will be making his second tour of duty with the franchise, after playing in New York from 2005-09. But unlike that dark age of Knicks basketball, Richardson will be taken along this magical ride, as the No. 2 seed Knicks prepare for the first round of the playoffs, starting Saturday against the rival Celtics.

Richardson, 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, was added when a roster spot was created by the release of forward Solomon Jones after just two games. The reason the Knicks could sign Richardson as opposed to, someone like former Spurs forward Stephen Jackson, is because Richardson was not on an NBA roster on March 1. Jackson was still a Spur at that time, which makes him ineligible for the postseason. Richardson was last on an NBA roster in October 2012 as a member of the Magic’s training camp.

While he’ll likely be an end-of-bench guy, Richardson still adds great value to the Knicks and head coach Mike Woodson because of his versatility to play both forward positions, his ability to shoot the 3-pointer (a career 35.5 percent 3-point shooter, including 39.7 percent in the playoffs) and his playoff experience (21 career playoff starts out of 31 total appearances).

“I figured when we get some of our bigs back, it’ll give us one more perimeter guy that can defend a little bit, that can make shots and space the floor like we play. I just think it adds to what we’re trying to do,” said Woodson. “We do have a lot of perimeter guys, but my thing has always been whoever plays, you’ve got to make the most out of your minutes. And if we get somebody in the game that’s struggling a little bit, then maybe I can turn to Quentin to get it done. … That’s the reason for bringing him to our ball club.”

Besides his physical attributes, Richardson also has intimate knowledge of the Celtics and Heat, not to mention animosity toward them as well. Those two franchises specifically have been main antagonists during Richardson’s career, as he’s had history with both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett of the Celtics, dating back to 2010, and LeBron James of the Heat, dating back to 2011.

Richardson’s contempt for the aforementioned teams could actually be used as a positive for a Knicks squad yearning to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, because he’ll certainly ratchet up the practice intensity and will not let his team suffer from complacency.

Also, by all accounts, Richardson, despite his chippy play, is known around the league as a great locker room guy who will always have the back of any guy wearing the same uniform. His character has also always been praised, specifically during his first Knicks tenure when he was one of the few stand-up individuals whenever things went awry and people were looking for answers.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks sign veteran Quentin Richardson for playoffs appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Miami Heat (64-16, previous No. 1) - Well, Dwyane Wade is back, and the Heat look ready for the postseason. They might even consider resting LeBron James and Wade for the entire series with Milwaukee in preparation for an actual challenge.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (59-21, previous No. 2) – Kevin Durant was fined $25,000 for a “menacing gesture” last week, but what he and the Thunder do in the Western Conference should be even more menacing.

3. San Antonio Spurs (58-22, previous No. 4) - The Spurs weathered the storm that was the 2012-13 NBA regular season. But do they have enough left in the tank to go deep into the postseason? It’ll be tough.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (54-26 previous No. 3) - What to make of Memphis’ 91-87 loss to the Clippers over the weekend? One, it could be an opening round playoff preview. Two, it should be a very entertaining one.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (54-26, previous No. 5) - A win over the Griz before the postseason does wonders for L.A.’s confidence. It also helps that it could give them homecourt advantage over them.

6. New York Knicks (53-27, previous No. 6) - The Knicks beat up on the Celtics pretty good in the regular season, but make no mistake: they aren’t thrilled about their opening round matchup.

7. Denver Nuggets (55-25, previous No. 7) - On the day point guard Ty Lawson returned, Kenneth Faried sprained his left ankle. Hopefully it’s not serious, because they’ll need all hands (and ankles) on deck without Danilo Gallinari.

8. Indiana Pacers (49-31, previous No. 8) - Roy Hibbert is playing at a higher level over the second half of the season. The Pacers should be fine against a banged up Bulls team or a Hawks team that lacks an identity.

10. Brooklyn Nets (47-33, previous No. 10) - The team that nobody is talking about could give the Heat more trouble than we all think in the second round. Deron Williams is playing as good as anybody.

9. Houston Rockets (45-35, previous No. 9) - The Rockets are the only Western Conference playoff team with a losing record against Western Conference teams. Beating up on the Eastern Conference won’t help them now.

11. Golden State Warriors (45-35, previous No. 11) - The Warriors seem to be that team that every other team in the Western Conference wants to play. Can they use that as fuel? Or will they just prove all those teams right?

12. Chicago Bulls (43-37, previous No. 12) - It feels more and more like the season of “what could have been” for Chicago. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are banged up now. Derrick Rose doesn’t appear to be suiting up this season, either.

13. Boston Celtics (41-39, previous No. 13) - The Celtics may not have depth on their side. Or age. But one thing they’ve never lacked is confidence, and often times that’s all a team needs.

14. Atlanta Hawks (44-36, previous No. 14) - He seems to go under the radar just about every year, but Al Horford is the type of player every team wants. Can play both power forward and center effectively on both ends.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (44-37, previous No. 15) - It’s an absolute shame that Kobe Bryant is lost for the season after doing everything in his power to get his team into the playoffs. Can Dwight carry them now?

16. Utah Jazz (42-38, previous No. 16) - The Jazz didn’t trade Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap at the deadline, could lose both now, and it’s looking like they’ll miss the postseason. What a season …

17. Milwaukee Bucks (37-43, previous No. 17) - No truth to the rumor that the Bucks are raising a banner with the words “Just Happy to be Here” written on it before the Heat series.

18. Dallas Mavericks (40-40, previous No. 18) - The Dallas Mavericks all finally shaved their beards on Sunday . . . because they reached .500 on the season. Congrats?

19. Philadelphia 76ers (33-47, previous 20) - Reports are that Doug Collins will resign as head coach after the season. Not a big surprise. It was pretty clear that, like everybody else, he had had enough with that team.

20. Toronto Raptors (32-48, previous – ) - All the Raptors are doing now is costing themselves ping pong balls. Should have followed the Trail Blazers lead to end the season (an 11-game losing streak).

The post NBA Power Rankings: The playoffs are here! appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks lock up No. 2 seed with win over Pacers appeared first on Metro.us.

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.

The post Knicks try to extend win streak in trip to Chicago appeared first on Metro.us.