SLAMMED SHUT: Carmelo Anthony slams home two of his 25 points in front of Paul George during the Knicks’ 90-80 victory over the Pacers. The Knicks clinched the No. 2 seed in the East and will take on the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. (Reuters)
Carmelo Anthony can already taste the sweet revenge and it’s colored green.
The Knicks got the second seed and got the Celtics again in the first round of the playoffs expected to start Saturday at the Garden.
With a rugged defensive performance, 25 points from Anthony and forcing 26 turnovers, the Knicks disposed of Indiana, 90-80, in a Garden matinee. The Knicks (53-27) will own the second-best record in the East after Miami.
Now the next meaningful basketball the Knicks will play is when the Celtics come to town in a rematch of the first-round series that became a Knicks 4-0 disaster in 2011. The Knicks won the season series, 3-1, but their last win came when Anthony agitator Kevin Garnett was resting. Anthony said he can’t wait for this series.
“We’re looking forward to that match-up,’’ Anthony said. “We know what kind of series it’s going to be. It’s going to be a grind-out, battle series, tough series, physical series.’’
Asked about the 2011 sweep in his first season as a Knick, Anthony said: “That’s in the back of our minds. We want to beat Boston, let’s be quite frank. It could be a great series. We want to win this series and that’s our mindset. This playoff series is very important to us as a team, as a city, as an organization.
“We’re different as a team, as an organization. We’re a lot different than we were a year and a half, two years ago. The mindset is a lot different, my mindset right now is a lot different. Right going into this playoffs with a completely different mindset than we had a couple of years ago against Boston.”
By winning the second seed over Indiana, the Knicks would have homecourt advantage versus the Pacers if they meet in the second round. That will be huge since the season series ended 2-2 — each club winning both games on their home floor.
“We got all the momentum on our side right now,’’ Knicks point guard Raymond Felton said.
“It didn’t matter who we played,’’ coach Mike Woodson said. “What is more important for our team was securing homecourt to start the playoffs. We now secured it for the second round as well. We are going to have to deal with Boston first. They are well-coached. They have had their ups and downs with injuries. So have we. It’s going to be a good series.’’
Anthony’s streak of seven straight 30-point games ended, mostly because he played just 30 minutes, resting the fourth quarter after bruising his left shoulder. J.R. Smith added 15 points and eight rebounds in the win.
The Knicks have two regular-season games remaining — tonight in Charlotte and their regular-season finale Wednesday against Atlanta. The only significance to these games is the possible return of 6-foot-11 reserve power forward Rasheed Wallace. He could play in his first game tonight since mid-December after coming back early from foot surgery.
“[The Celtics are] a veteran club, too,’’ Anthony said. “Listen, they’ve won a championship up there. They understand what it takes. That first game is huge. You don’t want them to come and take homecourt away.’’
Anthony left the game after three quarters with what the Knicks called “a contused left shoulder’’ and didn’t return. As he sat on the bench, he received cold spray and had the shoulder wrapped in towels and bandages.
He was available to come back if needed. In fact, he got up to go to the midcourt scorer’s table after Indiana cut it to 10 points with 3:45 left but sat back down after Raymond Felton hit a jumper and the Pacers turned the ball over.
Anthony had planned to sit out tonight regardless, but he said he may play a little bit versus Atlanta in the regular-season finale.
The Knicks moved to 53-27 — and it’s the first time they’ve been second seed since 1993-94 when they advanced to The Finals. With unprecedented depth, they survived a mountain of injuries.
“I’ve seen a team with a lot of heart that’s committed,’’ Woodson said. “Everybody in that locker room has been committed all season. I’ve been able to call on every player in that locker room at one time or another.’’
Ex-Knicks president Donnie Walsh, now with the Pacers, knows it would be a bear of a second-round series.
“We’re young, they’re more seasoned,’’ Walsh said. “They know what they’re doing at this time of year. For us, this will be a good experience no matter which way it goes.’’