IT’S GO TIME! The Knicks and Heat have not met in the playoffs since 2000, when the Knicks knocked off Miami, 4-3. Carmelo Anthony and New York will try to have the same result this time around against LeBron James & Co. (Getty Images)
MIAMI — Carmelo Anthony can’t wait. Neither can LeBron James.
Friends and rivals since high school, Anthony and James haven’t spoken yet since the latest playoff rendition of Knicks-Heat became finalized late Thursday night. But the talking certainly will be done on the court Saturday for Game 1 at earsplitting American Airlines Arena.
The Heat and Knicks have met before on this stage, but the NBA’s two leading men now go mano-a-mano for the first time in the playoffs in a small-forward matchup that likely will decide whether the Knicks can spring the upset.
“I didn’t think it would be this soon,’’ Anthony said of facing James. “We all talked about it playing each other in the playoffs. The time is now. I can’t wait. I’m pretty sure he feels the same way.’’
Knicks center Tyson Chandler is questionable with the flu. Though Chandler probably will play, he may be hampered, leaving Anthony with a greater load as he tries to further his reputation as a player who has never backed down from James.
“Anytime you’re going against great players, you always want to bring your best game,’’ said Anthony, who yesterday won Player of the Month for April after leading the league with 29.8 ppg, including seven 30-point games and a pair of 40-point outbursts. “Right now it’s a seven-game series. I’m going to have to bring it. It’s not an individual matchup between me and LeBron. It’s Miami versus the Knicks.”“‘My mindset, my goal is to win the series.” Anthony added. “This will be a big series for me to get and for us to get. We’re excited about this series. Everyone’s excited. You can just see the focus guys have today and the last couple of days preparing.’’
Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who sparked Anthony’s turnaround after Melo and Mike D’Antoni feuded, is 18-6 and said he likes the Anthony-James matchup.
“If you look at Melo’s numbers since I’ve taken over, his numbers are right there [with LeBron],’’ Woodson said. “You can look at it individually. I look at it as a team and he’s made everyone during that 24-game stretch better. You don’t go 18-6 [unless he’s] doing what he had to do to get us there. We would be struggling if we didn’t have him.’’
Anthony spent a lot of time with James during the lockout and talked of this day.
“We’re two of the best players we have in this league is how you could put it,’’ James said yesterday. “We’re really good friends and we look forward to going against one another. It should be fun.’’
Will he talk with James?
“I don’t know, he might hit me with a ‘good luck’ and I might say, ‘good luck,’ ’’ Anthony said.
It truly is no time for fraternization. They first faced off in high school when Anthony played for Oak Hill and James for Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary in 2002 in Trenton. Anthony’s Oak Hill won, 72-66, with Anthony scoring 34 points, James scoring 36. Anthony had a lopsided record in his favor with Denver against James’ Cavaliers.
One NBA scout said: “Carmelo seems to sense LeBron is tentative against him. It’s been like that since they were kids.’’
Anthony and James first met the day before the Oak Hill-Akron game.
“Before the game, we met in a hotel hallway, sat and talked,’’ Anthony recalled. “We didn’t know much about each other. I had heard of him. But we connected from there.’’
Bernard King, who will join the MSG Network’s studio gang across the playoffs, told The Post: “Carmelo matches up very well against LeBron. LeBron typically faces mismatches. There’s no better offensive player in the league than Melo, particularly right now. That offensive output that will prevent him from roaming defensively which is what he does well. It’s an even matchup. I don’t think the Knicks lose on it.’’
James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all were drafted the same draft class as Anthony — 2003. They were four of the first five picks.
“Nine years ago, we were all getting drafted,’’ Bosh said. “When we were getting drafted these are the moments it was always about, playing each other in the playoffs.’’
The Knicks will need bench firepower from J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. They will need Amar’e Stoudemire to be efficient and blend in with Anthony. They will need rookie Iman Shumpert to play beyond his years in defending Wade. They will need Chandler healthier.
But above all, to post the upset, the Knicks will need Anthony to do what he’s done since high school — beat James.
“We had a great 24-game run,’’ Woodson said. “It’s a new season and anything can happen in a new season. I believe that. Critics and fans don’t think you can get it done, something always amazingly happens. I’m hoping that swing comes our way.’’