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Now or never. Carmelo Anthony has that urgent mentality for a veteran-laden Knicks team to win a championship this season. On the eve of Game 1 against Boston, the Knicks superstar said, “The time is now.’’
The Knicks go green today as the Celtics invade the Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at 3 p.m. It’s the first time since 2001 the playoffs have opened at MSG.
Anthony realizes today’s playoff opener is vital. The Knicks have homecourt advantage in a series for the first time since 2001 and have the East’s best record at home (31-10).
“Game 1 might be the biggest game of the series,’’ Anthony said.
“This is a big game for us. Especially here on our home court. We want to take care of that first game We’re locked in. we’re focused. We’re ready to go.’’
“It’s what we played for all season,’’ Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “Hosting the first round at home. It’s all about winning at home.’’
Anthony’s teams have been knocked out of the first round in eight of his nine seasons. The lone year he got out of Round 1 — in 2009 — his Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference finals.
Asked if this Knicks club remind him of that Nuggets club, Anthony said, “Absolutely. It’s just how deep of a team we are. How many weapons we have on this team. It feels kind of similar to me, when I was back in Denver, just making that run. How we were playing, how we came together at the right time of the season. The time is now.”
The Knicks are decided favorites, significantly deeper, even Boston’s Kevin Garnett acknowledging they have the better club. But they face that pressure and the emotion the Celtics will carry, playing for their city under lockdown in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing.
“If they’re not playing for anything, they’re playing for that,’’ Anthony said. “That’s big what happened in Boston. They’re definitely coming in here with a chip on their shoulder and feel like they have something to prove.’’
“The emotions will be high for them, just because of what’s happened,’’ Jason Kidd said.
The Knicks have been whipped in their last four first-round series and are without a playoff series win since 2000. They were swept by the Nets in 2004, swept by the Celtics in 2011 and wiped out 4-1 by Miami last season.
These Knicks captured the second seed, knocked the Celtics out as Atlantic Division champs and now try to knock them out of the playoffs.
“Everything we accomplished in the regular season really pretty much don’t matter at this point,” Anthony said of the Knicks’ 54-28 record. “It doesn’t matter right now.”
Two years ago doesn’t matter, either.
“Night and day,’’ Anthony said when asked if this season’s edition was better than the club that got swept by Boston. “Night and day. It’s not even a comparison.”
The Knicks are built to win now and perhaps next season.
“That’s the fun part and challenging part,’’ Anthony said. “To know that we have an opportunity to do something special here. And I think that that’s going to be in the back of our minds as we go out there and play, to know that we have something special within our team.’’
Though the Knicks took the season series 3-1 and the Celtics are without Rajon Rondo, Woodson cautioned, “They’re battle-tested. They get after it defensively. They got guys who could put the ball in the hole. It’s a quality team. In the playoffs, they’re a major threat. You can’t take them lightly.’’
Ever since LeBron James won his first title in June, his friend Anthony has wanted one badly. He came to training camp in the best shape of his career, won the scoring title and respect of his teammates and changed past perceptions of not being a winner.
“I’m trying,’’ Anthony said. “That’s my goal. To go out there and play, have fun and hopefully win a championship. That’s my goal, but it starts [today]. Everything starts [today].’’
marc.berman@nypost.com