SLAMMED HOME: Kenyon Martin, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Carmelo Anthony (inset), who scored 37 points, led the Knicks to a 99-94 victory over the Raptors and a playoff berth last night. (Reuters, AP (Anthony))
TORONTO — What a difference a knee drain makes.
Friday night’s official clinching of a playoff berth was a small step for the Knicks’ lofty goals, but the win was a giant step for Carmelo Anthony and new starting center Kenyon Martin in their respective comebacks.
In a marathon-like 43 minutes, Anthony put forth a dynamic two-way game and Martin had a near perfect game as the Knicks beat the Raptors for the first time this season, 99-94, at Air Canada Centre for their third straight win.
Anthony, in his second game back from the knee procedure, lit it up with 37 points and played the entire second half. He finally exhibited a vibrancy on defense and an ear to ear smile through much of the contest. Oh, how different he looked that tragic night in Denver nine days ago when he walked off the court early in the third quarter with his swollen knee, bound for New York and a knee procedure.
Martin, meanwhile was 9 of 9 from the field before a last-minute miss and finished with a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. He is starting at center as the Knicks wait for Tyson Chandler’s stiff neck to heal.
Anthony may have had a slight limp to his gait in the locker room after the contest, but the star forward was all smiles.
“The game is just fun, especially when I’m able to play the way I know how to play and be confident in things I’m doing on the court,’’ Anthony said. “When I’m having fun, the game is so much easier for myself and so much easier for us as a team because we feed off each other. When they see me out there having fun, everybody has fun.”
Martin is having fun as the Knicks moved to 41-26 with 15 games left. He was signed on Feb. 23 as insurance and who knew virtually all their big men would go down.
“He’s a true professional,’’ said Jason Kidd, who turns 40 today. “If we didn’t have him, we’d be in trouble right now.’’
Coach Mike Woodson said if the Knicks didn’t scoop him up, some playoff-bound club would have. Martin said he didn’t have any serious bites.
“Whoever called first,’’ Martin said. “If it was Miami, I was going to Miami.’’
It’s a good thing Pat Riley didn’t pick up the phone. The Knicks are now a playoff team for the third straight season and will attempt to win their first playoff series since 2001. During the depressing days of the 2000 decade, the Knicks missed the playoffs six straight seasons but now nothing short of a berth into the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami would be considered a failure.
The Knicks get the Raptors again tonight at the Garden and Mike Woodson has to decide how much to use Anthony.
“I wish I could predict how I’m going to feel tomorrow,’’ Anthony said. “I don’t know. I feel good. Just a little tight. I got to get used to playing those minutes again. If I have to play 48, I’ll play 48.’’
Woodson had given lip service that he was carefully monitoring Anthony’s minutes. That got thrown out the window — likely because he was playing so well.
“He played great,’’ Woodson said. “I talked about it at the top of the game not playing him very big minutes. But this was a game we had to go get. I just couldn’t find a gap to sit him. I feel bad about it. Hopefully he’ll sleep, ice up and be ready for [tonight].’’
The Knicks were aided by the absence of Rudy Gay, who sat the second half with a back injury and may not play tonight. Melo, often faced off against his former Knick adversary Landry Fields. He, was just 3 of 10 in the first quarter before finding his groove. He finished 14 of 31 with 6 rebounds, was 7 of 11 from the free-throw line and had 7 turnovers. The numbers weren’t LeBron-like efficient but his energy on both ends was infectious.
Anthony’s biggest moment came when he caught an inbounds play and fired in a right-corner trey at the third-quarter buzzer over Fields. It made the score 77-71 and the Knicks were on their way. On defense he even defended 7-foot Jonas Valanciunas in the fourth.
“I wanted that challenge,’’ Anthony said. “I love games like this.’’
Martin scored all night on dunks and garbage buckets. The Knicks got up 94-84, repelling the Raptors’ last charge as Martin scored back-to-back layups off Raymond Felton passes as the Raptors defense continually forgot about him cutting to the basket. Felton then drilled a straightaway 3-pointer for the 10-point bulge with 3:58 left.
“He stepped up big time,’’ Woodson said.
“He’s filling the void,’’ Anthony said.