There were differing versions of the truth emanating from the home and away locker rooms in the bowels of the Garden late Sunday afternoon.
The sandbaggers’ version came from inside a cramped visitors’ dressing room that resembled something out of a low-budget high school operation, where superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade sat on wooden benches with their feet soaking in large beer coolers filled with ice.
That’s where the Heat, knowing they had just sent a resounding message to the Knicks by ending their nine-game home winning streak, complimented the Knicks’ resilience in a season of constant and volatile change and portrayed them as a playoff threat despite the fact they know they are far better.
The delusional version came from inside the luxurious home dressing room with the comfy chairs, spacious lockers and fancy carpeting.
That’s where the Knicks shrugged off their 93-85 loss to the Heat, sounding alarms with their level of self-satisfaction at merely putting a scare into Miami, which likely will be their opening-round playoff opponent if the Knicks are the No. 7 seed and Heat stay at No. 2.
The Knicks, almost to a man, came away from Sunday’s loss feeling far too good about themselves and their chances of beating the Heat in the playoffs.
“There’s no need, as a team, to put our heads down,’’ said Carmelo Anthony, perhaps the only Knick who shouldn’t have after scoring 42 points. “We played hard. We played tough.’’
Sure, the Knicks, who play the Celtics tonight at the Garden, played hard and they played tough, but the problem is they didn’t play well enough and didn’t show they have enough to beat the Heat when it really counts — in the playoffs.
This is what we learned from the Knicks in Sunday’s loss to the Heat, who beat them for the third time in three regular-season meetings this season: They’ll probably steal one win at home in the playoff series and that’s about it.
“It’s obvious that we can beat them,’’ Iman Shumpert said.
Obvious? In what world?
In the three games against the Heat this season, the Knicks have been three different versions of themselves and none has been good enough to produce a win.
In Game 19 on Jan. 27, the Knicks lost 99-89 in Miami playing without Anthony, who was injured.
In Game 35 on Feb. 23, the Knicks were blown out 102-88 in Miami while playing with their full roster, including phenom Jeremy Lin, who had his worst game as a pro (8 points, 8 turnovers).
On Sunday, the Knicks lost while playing without Amar’e Stoudemire, who remains sidelined with a back injury.
“Every time we’ve played them we’ve had to have a new game plan because of the personnel,’’ Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said. “It’s been three different opponents in a way when we’ve played them.’’
And none of them has been good enough to overcome the more talented Heat and their “Big Three’’ — James, Wade and Chris Bosh.
This is why the Knicks, despite their empty words of confidence and insistence about wanting to meet the Heat in the playoffs, might be better off entering the postseason as the No. 8 seed, which would match them against the No. 1 seeded Bulls.
At least the Knicks beat the Bulls in one of their four meetings this season, and the health of Bulls star guard Derrick Rose could be in question.
Still, though, the Knicks spoke Sunday as if a playoff showdown with the Heat is their desire.
“I think we match up with them well,’’ Baron Davis said. “We are up for the challenge. We like the attention. It is definitely a measuring stick for us.’’
The problem for the Knicks is they haven’t measured up in three regular-season games against Miami this season, so there is little reason to think they will in the playoffs.