After the Knicks’ 113-112 victory over the Hawks on Sunday, a tough victory over a playoff team, Iman Shumpert said, “I think this is how [the] playoffs are going to feel.”
And Tyson Chandler chipped in, “No, not even close.”
With only two games left in the regular season, Chandler said the Knicks’ playoff preparation officially began yesterday, as the center said practice was nothing like those in recent days. The session lasted more than two hours, and Chandler called the intensity higher than normal.
“It started [yesterday],” he said. “We got after it a little bit, got up and down the floor. Coach [Mike Woodson] was very serious about his message that he wanted to get across.”
Carmelo Anthony echoed that, calling it “a teaching day for us.”
“[Yesterday] was more of like a playoff atmosphere or mentality out there,” Anthony said. “Getting guys to lock in on the little things. Execution of our plays on the offense and on the defense.”
Woodson said the Knicks have started preparing for all three opotential playoff opponents, but are playing the odds a bit that it’ll be the Heat. If the postseason began today, the Knicks would be the No. 7 seed and would face No. 2 Miami. They also could draw the No. 6 seed and go against No. 3 Indiana or get the No. 8 seed and oppose the Bulls, who locked up the No. 1 seed last night when Miami lost to the Celtics.
Thus, Woodson said the Knicks were prepping for the Heat, Bulls and Pacers “in that order.”
“We had a big meeting [yesterday] morning about that,” he said. “We’ll continue to prep and get everything in place depending on who we draw to play.”
The Knicks (34-30) face the Clippers tonight and the Bobcats tomorrow. The 76ers (34-30), in eighth, face the Bucks tonight and the Pistons tomorrow. The Magic (36-28) face the Bobcats tonight and the Grizzlies tomorrow.
* The Knicks own the tiebreaker against both the Magic and 76ers. For the sixth seed, the Knicks will get it only if they go 2-0 and the Magic go 0-2. Assuming the Magic go at least 1-1, the Knicks are going for the No. 7 seed and they’ll get that if they go 2-0 no matter what the 76ers do, 1-1 if the 76ers go no better than 1-1 and even 0-2 if the 76ers go 0-2 as well.
* Woodson said he plans to play new center Dan Gadzuric tonight. “But I’m in the rotation mode [for the playoffs] now,” the coach said. “I’m trying to figure out who’s going to play and where I’m going to slot guys in.”
* In addition to Anthony’s plug for Woodson’s return, Amar’e Stoudemire also would welcome it, saying, “He’s done a phenomenal, phenomenal job. I love his attitude. I love his coaching style. It would be nice.”
Anthony, buddies with Clippers point guard Chris Paul, was asked if he thought Paul would stay in L.A. Said Anthony, “I don’t know. He seems happy out there. I don’t think he would want to move after all the stuff that he just went through.”