Disaster averted — for now.
Embattled Knicks coach Mike Woodson called the season “a disaster’’ on Thursday with his job on the line. But Carmelo Anthony made sure the Knicks didn’t lose against his former team, and also made sure Woodson won’t be losing his job before the weekend’s up.
With Anthony burying 31 points in 32 minutes and struggling point guard Raymond Felton electrifying the team, the Knicks rallied from an early 10-point hole and posted an impressive 117-90 rout over the Nuggets at the Garden to snap their three-game losing streak.
If Woodson keeps the Knicks (20-30) playing like this, with the same pace and defensive tenacity, he’ll be just fine.
“This proves we should be playing better and can play better,’’ J.R. Smith said.
Before the game, Woodson said “it’s not too late’’ to mount a big playoff push and said “anything’s possible’’ when and if the Knicks get to the postseason. He sounded like a man trying to convince his superiors everything isn’t so dire despite his “disaster’’ remark. Owner James Dolan has contemplated a coaching change since the dreadful loss to the league-worst Bucks Monday.
The entire locker room praised the coaching staff for Thursday’s spirited practice, and Anthony even saluted the in-game moves of Woodson, whose club plays in Oklahoma City on Sunday.
“Although we got down early we stayed composed,’’ Anthony said. “We made adjustments throughout the course of the game. It was a great team win and we want to build on that. I was surprised we slowed them down as much as we did [Friday].’’
Two weeks after his franchise-record 62-point performance, Anthony hit 12 of 21 shots, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. Amar’e Stoudemire added 17 points as six Knicks recorded double figures. Even young big man Jeremy Tyler posted his first career double-double — 12 points, 11 rebounds in 22 minutes — and center Tyson Chandler seemed open all night underneath (12 points, 6 of 7). All the bigs thrived.
“We played loose, we played aggressive, we got after it,’’ Stoudemire said. “We had great spacing offensively and the ball moved.’’
The victory also was crucial for another reason: If the Knicks don’t make the playoffs, the Nuggets will throw a party in the Rocky Mountains. Denver (24-24) owns the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick and would slide into the lottery of this June’s super draft. That would become the final indignity of the Anthony trade.
But the Knicks looked just fine Friday as they moved within two games of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and to 5-3 since Andrea Bargnani tore his elbow ligament. They displayed wonderful ball movement and perfect chemistry as they exploited Denver’s interior defense.
Anthony admitted the sight of the Nuggets’ powder-blue uniforms still mean something. He has struggled against his old team the past, shooting 35.2 percent against them since joining the Knicks.
“I know that will never change my feelings about Denver, knowing that’s where it all started,’’ Anthony said. “Now it’s more I want to win and beat them every time I play them. It’s nothing personal against them, but I just have a new uniform on.’’
Felton, after getting benched in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, played as if he were wearing jet engines. Super quick on the fast break and darting to open space in the halfcourt to set up his teammates, Felton finished with nine points (4 of 5) and eight assists in 28 minutes. Point guard Pablo Prigioni collected six assists.
“It’s mental,’’ Chandler said of Felton. “Raymond has all the tools. He has to understand his whole team is behind him and we believe in him. Whenever he is finding guys getting in the lane for penetration, it clearly helps our offense.’’
The Knicks led 50-44 at the half after closing the second quarter on a 9-0 run. Anthony finished the first half with 20 points.
Early in the fourth quarter, Smith drove the lane and fed a wondrous behind-the-back pass for a Tyler layup with 9:27 left. Tyler then tipped in a missed trey by rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. (10 points), and the Knicks were up by 19 points with 9:10 left.
Regarding the pass, Tyler said: “It was a great pass. That’s my guy. I call him the deliveryman.’’
And the Knicks delivered for Woodson on Friday.