The Knicks don’t have Amar’e Stoudemire or Jeremy Lin, and it’s possible both are finished for the season. But the undermanned Knicks continue to hang in there for the East’s final playoff spot — and continue to win.
J.R. Smith picked up the Knicks’ slack last night, scoring a team-high 20 points, grabbing nine rebounds and delivering a career-high-tying five steals, to co-star with Carmelo Anthony in a 91-75 win over the Cavaliers at the Garden.
“We need J.R. to play like that,” Anthony said. “Coming down the stretch, we’re going to need that from him.”
Smith helped the Knicks (27-26) improve to 9-2 under Mike Woodson and increase their lead to 2 1/2 games over the Bucks (24-28) for the eighth playoff seed in the East with 13 games left. The Bucks, who lost to the visiting Grizzlies, hold a game in hand.
“We’re in that playoff spot,” Tyson Chandler said, “and it’s ours to lose.”
Without Stoudemire (bulging disk) and Lin — who they learned last night will be out six weeks following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee — and with a tough schedule ahead, that will be a challenge, making last night’s win over the Cavs all the more critical.
The Knicks’ next four games are all against playoff teams — at Indiana and Orlando before a home-and-home with the Bulls — then a crucial clash against the Bucks.
“One game at a time, one practice at a time, film session at a time,” Woodson said. “The season is what it is. It’s not going anywhere.”
In beating the Cavaliers — who were also shorthanded in missing Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson due to injury — the Knicks’ defense continued to impress. The Knicks are holding opponents to 86.3 points per game in the Woodson era, and they are 18-1 this season when they keep teams under 90.
There were times last night when the Knicks looked as if they simply wanted to get through the game, reeling from Lin injury news on the second night of a back-to-back.
“The last two games we’ve really looked sluggish,” Woodson said. “It could be fatigue.”
Anthony was engaged in a physical battle with Jamison, but he managed 19 points, shooting 7-for-14 from the field. Chandler posted 14 points and 12 boards. Smith led the attack, delivering maybe his best game as a Knick.
“He had an incredible game,” Chandler said. “He shot a high percentage, got a lot of rebounds for us and five steals. He was all over the floor. He was huge for us.”