May 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) dribbles the ball around Indiana Pacers point guard D.J. Augustin (14) during the second half in game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks win 85-75. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks live to see another day. Facing elimination on their home floor, the Knicks put together a buzzer-to-buzzer victory over the Indiana Pacers, squeezing out just enough offense and stingy enough defense to force a Game 6. The Pacers, playing without starting point guard, George Hill, struggled to find offense and combusted with a bevy of crucial turnovers and foul trouble to important players.

After losing their identity over some of the previous games – failed attempts at small-ball, a lack of launching from downtown – the Knicks more-or-less got back to their brand of basketball. It helped, of course, that players actually made shots. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 28 points, hitting from all spots within the arc; Raymond Felton found his stroke on wiggles to the lane and pull-up jumpers in the pick-and-roll; Chris Copeland and J.R. Smith both came through with significant offensive contributions. Late in the game, the fate still very much undecided, the Knicks went cold. However, they turned to their defense, forcing seven fourth quarter turnovers, three in the final two minutes.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances with player report cards.

Carmelo Anthony – 42 minutes, 28 points, 12-28 FG, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 TOs, +6

‘Melo began the game with a renewed accuracy. He kicked things off with a jumper at the elbow off a little curl, and then a pull-up three in transition – a welcomed sight. Earlier in the game, too, he exploited mismatches, posting up the smaller, smothering Paul George, and a few times getting mismatches with David West and Roy Hibbert. As the game went on, Anthony got a little more stationary and a bit colder. However, contrary to previous games, Anthony came up with some huge fourth quarter baskets, mostly on face-ups on the right elbow versus Sam Young and George. If the Knicks are going to win the series, they’re going to need the same level of scoring, plus an increased effort on the glass and defensive end – the latter two were a bit lacking in this one.

Final Grade: B

J.R. Smith – 36 minutes, 13 points, 4-11 FG, 1-4 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TOs, +8

It wasn’t a return to form, necessarily, but it was a step in the right direction. For the first time perhaps all series, Smith looked like himself on the floor. There the occasional bouts of over-dribbling, ball-stopping, poor shots, and defensive lapses, but paired with those deficiencies were some canned jumpers, good rebounds, timely forced turnovers, and clutch free throws. With Iman Shumpert in foul trouble and Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd contributing little, it was a good time for Smith to step up. And then there’s that whole ‘elimination’ thing, too, so yes, nice timing, J.R.

Final Grade: B-

Chris Copeland – 19 minutes, 13 points, 4-6 FG, 3-4 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 TOs, +2

Mike Woodson reads Twitter? Calls for the dreadlocked rookie resounded during the team’s anemic offensive performance in Game 4, and he received mostly insubstantial playing time. But speak thy name and he shall get playing time… or something like that. Copeland got minutes to start the second quarter, and when the team turned to him in the second half, he responded. His impact on offense was felt almost immediately as he went to the line or canned three-pointers promptly off the bench. His best sequence came when he chased down DJ Augustin on a two-on-one fastbreak, helped force a Pacers turnover, came back on offense, missed a three. Then, when the Knicks rebounded that miss and shot another three, Copeland scooped up that rebound and put it back in for a layup to the roar of the Garden crowd and his teammates. I think he’ll play Game 6. Just a hunch.

Final Grade: A-

Raymond Felton – 37 minutes, 12 points, 6-14 FG, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 0 TOs, +7

Facing up against DJ Augustin instead of George Hill surely had an effect on Felton’s solid work in this one, but his accomplishments won’t be taken away. Felton’s offensive attack came in spurts, at times dashing his way to the rim off pick-and-rolls, others pulling up at the foul line extended for jumpers. His penetration makes such a significant difference in the Knicks’ ability to get better looks on offense, one can only hope that he keeps it up. Throw in his superior possession care-taking (zero turnovers) and all the stray passes and dribbles he got his flippers on, and this was a vintage Felton playoff performance.

Final Grade: A

Kenyon Martin- 20 minutes, 7 points, 2-2 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, +8

Martin’s minutes didn’t pile up too high, but he was forced to play an important role substituting for the oft foul-plagued Chandler. He did a stout job defending Indiana’s bigs, and while his rebounding was a bit shy, he protected the rim about as well as a 6’9″ center can. He finished a few looks around the rim and set some good screens, which was nice of him

Final Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert – 26 minutes, 5 points, 2-10 FG, 1-4 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO, +8

Shumpert saw more pine than usual due to some foul woes, some of which were tick-tacky, others a little more justified on the refs’ parts. Though he looked physically better than Game 4, his stroke was astray, and he committed a few emphasized errors, like going under a screen and leaving Paul George open for a three that connected, cutting the Knicks’ lead down to four midway through the fourth quarter. Whether his poor shooting is a result of an iffy knee is hard to tell, but there’s no more than a day’s rest for the remainder of the series, so he’s going to have to keep contributing on the boards and hopefully pick up his D.

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 18 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, +3

Prigs, thankfully, saw more than three minutes of action in this one, but he still didn’t play a whole lot. Part of that was his ineffectiveness on the floor, and the other was his own foul troubles. The Pacers’ big lineups don’t suit him well on defense, and there was a whole lot less pick-and-roll action for him in Game 5. It’d be preferable for him to start second quarters with Stoudemire and Martin to try and initiate that pick-and-roll magic.

Final Grade: C+

Tyson Chander – 27 minutes, 2 points, 1-4 FG, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

It seems that Chandler is OK after a scary fourth quarter fall that had him rolling on the ground in agony. That’s good. Chandler was shaky on offense, failing to finish over the Roy Hibbert’s beanstalk arms. However, his defense neared 2011-12 levels, including some big ole swats at the rim. If not, he just tossed ‘em to the ground like he did to Lance Stephenson on a delusional posterization attempt. Lance, meet floor. Most importantly, Chandler played a big part in denying the Pacers so many offensive rebounds, and in the meantime, came up with some biggies of his own. Now get that back fixed.

Final Grade: B+

Amar’e Stoudemire – 7 minutes, 2 points, 0-0 FG, 2-2 FT, 2 rebounds, 1 TO, +4

Stoudemire’s action was limited to the first half and no one quite knows why. In those seven first half minutes, his offensive attempts turned into free throws and a turnover. As was the case in January, Stoudemire looks to be featured a little too much, and his attempts usually come at the expense of rhythm. Stoudemire is a much better player in rhythm. For now, it really doesn’t feel like he’s had much impact on the games; he’s just kind of out there.

Final Grade: C

Jason Kidd – 5 minutes, 0-1 FG, +2

It seems even Mike Woodson has his limits with Kidd. It’s sad to see, but Kidd’s impact on the game is so diminished that it’s not unreasonable to think he doesn’t deserve minutes on the floor. He hasn’t scored in his his last 160-something minutes, and for the second straight game, blew a fastbreak layup. It kind of saddens me to think that his confidence is so misplaced, but these are important games, and charity minutes can’t be dished out.

Final Grade: C

The Knicks have a day off and will play Game 6 in Indiana.

Led by Carmelo Anthony’s 32 points, the Knicks found a significantly better offensive rhythm in this one, using more diverse sets and getting away from their heavy isolation tendencies. Indiana had their moments where they scored with ease and locked up the Knicks, but New York fought back with a huge 30-2 run from the end of the third quarter to midway through the fourth quarter. The Knicks forced turnovers all game long with intense traps on ball-handlers and later forced the Pacers into arrhythmic jumpers during the second half rally. York’s 33-13 fourth quarter put them in total control of the game, and they were able to rest their usual rotation players and ride out the double-digit victory.

The series goes to Indiana now, all tied up at 1-1. Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 35 minutes, 32 points, 13-26 FG, 2-5 3FG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, +20

As Chris Herring pointed out on Twitter, ‘Melo was still mired in something of a shooting slump before a Frank Vogel timeout in the late third quartergave Anthony a chance to drink Mike’s Secret Stuff. Thereafter, Anthony went 6-8 from the field, taking it to the basket for a yam in David West’s face, knocking down mid-range jumpers, and finally, hitting two of those ever-evasive “three-pointers.” Overall, Anthony’s approach was more disciplined and vintage ‘Melo (meaning the ‘Melo of, like, three weeks ago). His defense was less physical, but smarter on David West, and for the most part, when shifted to the perimeter, Anthony made some solid rotations and well-timed traps. Still worried about the shoulder, which clearly caused him pain at some points, but three days rest between games oughta help it somewhat.

Final Grade: B+

Iman Shumpert – 29 minutes, 15 points, 7-11 FG, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, +5

Mmmmmm. Blowing the Pacers out in the fourth quarter only sweetens that delightful jam Shump treated us to. Everything about it – the distance he had to run to get there, how far he had to reach to cock it back, the force he threw it down with. Oh man. Shumpert continues to be the Knicks’ best option at two-guard/ small forward, and when he’s hitting open threes, scoring off the dribble, working in the pick-and-roll in limited amounts, and pestering opposing offenses, there are very few Knicks who deserve playing time over him. Shot selection can still be a problem, as is his tendency to get lost on backdoor cuts and screens, but right now, Shumpert has been essential to the things new York has done right.

Final Grade: A

Raymond Felton – 27 minutes, 14 points, 5-9 FG, 2-2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO, -2

Felton continues to attack any open space he can find on offense. His assists are way down, likely because he’s assuming much less of a play-making role than a scoring role, but he’s doing the latter quite efficiently. No matter the range, really, Felton is hitting, especially around the basket, off curl plays to the free throw line extended, and from downtown. His defense on Indiana’s guards has been (mostly) sturdy, too. It’d be even more magnificent if he could make Indiana pay for sagging off pick-and-rolls by hitting that mid-range pull-up jumper, but we can’t have everything. He got a nice rest in the fourth quarter as Pablo Prigioni took total control of the reins.

Final Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni – 21 minutes, 10 points, 4-4 FG, 2-2 3FG, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +23

After a somewhat quiet start, Prigioni had his biggest moments during the Knicks’ 30-2 run in the second half. As mentioned, he took Felton’s place as the conductor of the Knicks’ offense, and while Carmelo Anthony will surely receive the most credit for bursting for 16 of those points, Prigioni made some terrific plays. Whether it was gathering rebounds, hitting ‘Melo for a three in transition, canning a three-pointer and a runner of his own, or dishing from the three-point line to Chandler on a gorgeous alley-oop, Pablo got the train rollin’. Let us not forget his own noteworthy harassment of Indiana’s guards during the run, too. It seems he’s gained Woodson’s trust – finally – and it couldn’t be more deserved.

Final Grade: A

Kenyon Martin – 18 minutes, 10 points, 5-6 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, +16

Strange how Martin’s efficiency has fluctuated from high at the onset of the Celtics series, to low in that same series, to high, once again in this Indiana series. Martin has mostly held his own defending Indiana’s big men, and what’s stranger, he’s been the best Knick at finishing over and around them. If he can consistently hit a midrange jumper or two, and finish a play in the paint, he’ll continue to be valuable on offense. Just one small complaint on the other end: block shots a little less hard and corral them to yourself, please?

Final Grade: B

Tyson Chandler – 31 minutes, 8 points, 4-5 FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, +21

Chandler came away even with Hibbert in this one. After being out-played in Game 1, Tyson looked more active on the boards (despite being out-rebounded, he put a body on Hibbert), deterred some drives, and severely limited Hibbert’s offense. Chandler still needs to flat-out win that matchup each night for the Knicks’ chances in the series to look really good, but nights like tonight are a good start. Also, Chandler did a nice job finishing dunks.

Final Grade: B-

J.R. Smith – 30 minutes, 8 points, 3-15 FG, 1-7 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 TOs, 1 block, +27

Kind of weird that Smith registered the highest +/- of any Knick, but hence why that stat can be misleading in a single game. For the game, the Knicks shot 49.4% FG, 33.3% 3FG, and had seven turnovers. Without Smith, those numbers would have been 55.4% FG and 39.3% 3FG, and their turnovers would’ve been nearly halved. Of course, that isn’t totally fair, but it goes to show that Smith has hurt the Knicks on offense. Credit, though, to J.R. for finding other ways to be effective. He played aggressive, feisty defense, rebounded well, and moved the ball better later in the game.

Final Grade: C-

Quentin Richardson – 5 minutes, 6 points, 2-3 3FG, 1 rebound

Q-Rich hopped off the bench late in the game and launched up some threes, two of which sank to cap the absurdity of the Knicks’ late run.

Final Grade: B-

James White – 5 minutes, 2 points, 1-2 FG, 2 rebounds

White also joined the bench bros who got to run around like kids in a classroom once the teacher leaves. He tipped in a missed shot.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 24 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 TOs, +20

Despite his complete inability to put the ball through that iron cylinder, Kidd had probably his best game of the playoffs in this one. He came at Indiana’s guards and big men with smart traps, frazzling them with his Venus flytrap hands, and forcing turnovers. He’s mightily non-threatening on offense, but still has the ability to whip around some assists. To cap the third quarter, he dove out-of-bounds to save the ball under the Knicks’ basket, and placed it right in Chandler’s hands for an easy dunk. That felt like a huge play at the time.

Final Grade: C+

Chris Copeland – 11 minutes, 0 points, 0-4 FG, 1 steal

Cope got a little too quick-triggered in launching some threes on pick-and-pop opportunities, but it’s forgivable; the Knicks need him to be aggressive if he’s getting minutes. If Amar’e Stoudemire does indeed return soon, then Copeland probably won’t see minutes beyond garbage time anymore. However, if he does still see court, I’m personally interested in seeing a possible ‘Melo-Copeland-Chandler frontcourt to put a bigger body on West, reduce Anthony’s physical beating, and still spread the floor.

Final Grade: C-

Steve Novak – 5 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG

Missed his only attempt in garbage time. Healthy or not, it’s hard to imagine Novak getting minutes in this series. Sorry, Steve.

The Knicks will take on the Pacers Saturday in Indiana.

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After a hot start which saw the Knicks play with tempo and a clear game plan in mind, the Pacers caught up and simply out-worked the Knicks and adjusted far better. New York began the game with a disciplined offensive approach – attack the basket in the pick-and-roll, when the defense collapses, kick it out to shooters. They rang up 27 points on Indiana in the first quarter, but the second quarter began the trouble. Indiana began to work inside-out on offense, punishing the Knicks inside, or draining from the outside when New York’s rotations were slow. On offense, the Knicks hurt themselves by going away from their effective attack in the pick-and-roll, but Indiana’s number-one defense plugged up remaining holes. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, the two most heavily leaned-upon Knicks, struggled once again, and in doing so, complicated the Knicks’ approach.

Things looked to be turning around early in the third quarter, but quick foul trouble on Anthony relegated him to the bench, and New York sputtered thereafter. The Pacers exposed whatever holes remained in New York’s defense, while the Knicks failed to reach even 20 points in consecutive quarters. Outraged over some poor refereeing and their own incompetence, the Knicks dug themselves into a double-digit hole. They fought back in the fourth quarter, gradually connecting on some jumpers, attacking the basket or at least drawing fouls, and defending with vigor. However, when they needed stops or the momentum-pushing baskets most, the Knicks couldn’t come up with.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 36 minutes, 27 points, 10-28 FG, 1-4 3FG 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 TOs, +2

As mentioned, Anthony picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter changed the game. The Knicks were struggling, but at the time, it was a single-digit lead. Although Anthony’s offense was hardly effective to that point, his presence alone changes a team’s defense. Without Anthony, the Knicks relied on a lot of pick-and-roll and too much J.R. Smith who connected from the field like dial-up internet during a hurricane. All game – with ‘Melo still in an inexplicably ill-timed shooting slump from downtown – Anthony’s biggest problem (quite literally) was Roy Hibbert’s rim defense. Occasionally, Anthony’s attacks to the rim were denied by straight-up, staunch, clean rim defense. Other times, like on a MASSIVE near-dunk on Hibbert, Anthony was met with slaps to face, wrists, or body-to-body contact. The Knicks’ loss was by no means on the officials, but if half of Anythony’s drives were called for fouls (and they were on about half of them), the game would’ve been much closer. Later, as Anthony resolved to just pulling up from outside, he splashed on some comeback-starting jumpers, but couldn’t finish the deal with the big baskets New York really needed.

Final Grade: C+

Raymond Felton – 38 minutes, 18 points, 8-12 FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, -9

Felton continues to be the Knicks’ best option on offense, and his defense has become oddly stingy. Why the Knicks ever went away from Felton high pick-and-rolls in the first half is totally bewildering. For much of the game, when Felton was given a good pick, he wriggled his way into the defense, often finishing with a suddenly accurate floater, or dishing out to the perimeter or for drop-off passes. The Knicks just wouldn’t keep up with these plays for whatever reason. The Knicks won’t win this series if Felton is consistently the best scorer, although it is very appreciated, Ray.

Final Grade: B+

J.R. Smith – 34 minutes, 17 points, 4-15 FG, 2-6 3FG, 7-10 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, -3

J.R. Smith’s fall from grace has come in the form of bricked jumpers, decided isolations, and unfinished drives. Once again, when New York needed a scorer most, Smith let the call go to voicemail (for those keeping score, that’s two phone analogies I’ve made for J.R. in this post). Smith had one strong final quarter in which he defended with gusto, getting over screens and selling fouls with conviction. In said quarter, he also suddenly drained a few jumpers and got to the basket for layups or free throws. Smith has been seen out at night for two public events in two of the last three games. The correlations isn’t definite, but the results haven’t been favorable, either. It’s fair to wonder if Smith’s sense of urgency is where it should be.

Final Grade: C-

Kenyon Martin – 25 minutes, 12 points, 5-8 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, -6

Martin had his moments in this one, finishing some plays around the rim and deterring some drivers. He was often paired with Tyson Chandler in the frontcourt, however, and there was rarely ever any success. Martin actually defended admirably, but even when he and Chandler denied opportunities inside, the Knicks were beaten from the outside. And on offense, the pairing just clogs up space, especially when the Knicks are so dry from outside.

Final Grade: B-

Iman Shumpert – 32 minutes, 11 points, 4-11 FG, 1-4 3FG, 4 rebounds, 3 TOs, -13

Shumpert missed some clean looks from the perimeter that he’d been hitting with regularity thus far in the playoffs. The misses only compounded the Knicks’ offensive struggles. Somewhat similarly, Shumpert had his moments, but guarding Lance Stephenson and Paul George is not like defending Paul Pierce – the prior two can actually move. Again, the Knicks won’t win the series if Anthony and Smith aren’t at their best, but Shumpert needs to be positive X-factor on both ends of the floor if the Knicks want to advance.

Final Grade: C+

Chris Copeland – 8 minutes, 6 points, 2-3 FG, -6

Surprised? So was everyone else, probably. Copeland hardly saw minutes in the Celtics series, but he was suddenly thrown into the mix at the onset of this second round series. Copeland didn’t offer much, but he did hit two threes, which could be a useful skills for this current version of the Knicks. At best, Cope could serve as a surprise to the Pacers who may be unaware of his offensive skills.

Final Grade: C

Tyson Chandler – 28 minutes, 4 points, 2-2 FG, 3 rebounds, 6 PFs, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 TOs, -8

Chandler coupled a relatively weak performance with two back-breaking blunders in the final minutes of the game. Down eight with under three minutes remaining, the Knicks’ defense forced Indiana into a deep three as the shot-clock expired, as the Knicks went to corral the rebound just before the shot clock expired, Chandler was whistled for a blatant pushing foul on Roy Hibbert during a box-out. On the Pacers’ new 24, Chandler fouled Hibbert after forcing him into a fade-away, 14-footer along the baseline. Hibbert then sank both free throws as the Pacers had knocked about 30 seconds off the clock. Already Chandler had struggled defending and rebounding against the Pacers’ big men. On offense, Chandler’s invisible on his dives to the rim – a fault that’s both he and his teammates’ fault. Like many others, the Knicks need Chandler to be the best center on the court to win this series.

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 22 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO, +2

What happened to our dear, sweet Pablo from Game 6? Prigioni hardly launched from deep depsite shooting fairly well for the playoffs, and he had clear trouble defending Indiana’s significantly speedier guards than Boston’s. He was, however, part of the Knicks’ uber effective pick-and-roll attack, but part of that is being willing to take open three-pointers when the defense sags off. He still needs time and can help the Knicks more than Jason Kidd, but he needs to regain his aggression.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 17 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO, +4

Ignore Kidd’s +/-; it’s not reflective of his play. Kidd has been ineffective in almost every game of the playoffs to the point where I wouldn’t be wholly upset if he stopped getting playing time. Of course that won’t happen (though credit Mike Woodson for cutting Kidd’s playing time down slightly). He can’t stay in front of guards on offense (he and Prigioni let DJ Augustin drop 16) and he’s a non-factor on offense.

Final Grade: C-

Marcus Camby – 12 seconds, -3

Camby played for 12 seconds at the end of the first half to avoid other big men picking up a foul, and the Knicks were out-scored by three points during that time.

Final Grade: C

The Knicks play Tuesday night in an essential must-win. The scary thought is that the Knicks are three losses away from ending their season. Gulp.

Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith each came up with some important baskets down the stretch, but it was a team effort, one surely not possible without almost immeasurable contributions from the likes of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, and Pablo Prigioni. New York’s staunchy defense (they had only given up 49 points through 38 minutes of the game) collapsed at a terrible time, and the crisp offense that wore the Celtics thin through three quarters came to a halt. Boston raged back like only they can, cutting the lead to four, but as displayed throughout the season, this New York team is different. This New York team sewed it back up, plugged the holes, and rode out the victory for the final four minutes of the game.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 40 minutes, 21 points, 7-23 FG, 1-6 3FG, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 TOs, +5

In the heat of the Celtics’ furious comeback, with the Knicks desperate for a bucket, Anthony was going to have the ball, and he was going to shoot it, narratives and common sense be damned. ‘Melo misfired rather woefully for a good chunk of the game, and in crunch time it wasn’t very different. The trend was so painfully obvious, too. When ‘Melo worked off the ball, running on little curls to the elbows, launching on clean catch-and-shoots, cutting to the basket, he was scoring successfully. Isolating to the waning moments of the shot clock against a great isolation defense… not so great. However, shooters will shoot, and shoot this Knickerbocker did. After missing some lay-ins and committing some egregious turnovers to fuel the Boston fire, Anthony drew some heady fouls for free throws, hit a typical pull-up jumper from midrange, and later sank a huge three-pointer (off a drive-and-kick, mind you) that put the Knicks up nine in the fourth quarter. Good, but goodness gracious, why must it be so difficult?!

Final Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert – 38 minutes, 17 points, 6-9 FG, 3-3 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, +14

Shumpert’s growth in the playoffs has been an absolute joy to watch, and it’s even earned the praises of Doc Rivers. All game long, Shumpert was sniper-like from beyond the arc, at one point nailing a trey in Jason Terry’s grill and then doing the Terry JET back down the floor. He was aggressive on the dribble-drive, too, which made Boston’s defense collapse and allowed other shooters more room. Furthermore, Shump’s sudden re-invigoration on defense provoked perhaps the most critical play to the Knicks’ saving their series: picking a pass and going end to end for a layup that put New York back up by six.

Final Grade: A+

Pablo Prigioni – 23 minutes, 14 points, 5-9 FG, 4-6 3FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 TOs, +11

Prigioni flat-out deserved minutes down the stretch when Jason Kidd nearly stumbled the game away with a bevy of mistakes. Prigioni opened the game launching from downtown and connecting at a considerable clip. His defense was a little less pesty than usual, but it was made up for with clever backdoor cuts and the sweetest set shot stroke on the club. We didn’t see Prigioni past the 9:43 mark in the fourth quarter, but a round of applause for his dynamite play until that point.

Final Grade: B+

J.R. Smith – 31 minutes, 13 points, 5-13 FG, 1-3 3FG, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 TOs, +2

Smith’s stretch as an indispensable member of the rotation has been temporarily discontinued. For most of the series, Smith’s entrance into the game (especially as the cost of Shump or Prigioni’s playing time) and subsequent poor play was met with a lot of angry SMHs and frustrated hand-tossing. It took three-and-a-half more quarters for Smith took get untracked, and after initially laying down the welcome mat for the Celtics’ comeback with some obliviously lazy passes-turned-turnovers, Smith came up with the big bucket. Following Anthony’s three-pointer to push the lead to nine, Smith came up with a driving and-one to put New York up 12, and effectively seal the game. Still, get your act together next round, J.R.

Final Grade: C-

Raymond Felton – 40 minutes, 11 points, 5-14 FG, 1 rebound, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 TOs, +13

Felton’s worst game of the series came at a bad time, but honestly, the numbers look worse than the performance did. Felton continued his aggressiveness, and if there was a biggest fault in his game (other than having a hand in the Knicks’ late-game meltdown), it was not shoving Anthony and Smith away from the ball and calling Chandler for more pick-and-rolls. His accuracy on jumpers waned as the Celtics mostly went under screens, but when he pressed into the lane, good things happened. Just please, more pick-and-rolls in the next round, Ray.

Final Grade: B+

Tyson Chandler – 33 minutes, 9 points, 4-8 FG, 12 rebounds, 9 off. rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, +12

Chandler has gradually worked himself back into the paint-roaming monster he usually is. Unfortunately, Boston covered up most lob opportunities to get Chandler slammin’. This didn’t prevent Chandler from regaining his tap-out stroke on offensive rebounds, or just collecting them himself and finishing on second-chance opportunities. Nothing came easy in the paint for Tyson, and even though it took him a few games to get his playoff legs, he out-played Kevin Garnett in almost all aspects. He has another sizable challenge waiting for him next round in Roy Hibbert (get it? Sizable!).

Final Grade: A-

Kenyon Martin – 17 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG, 0 rebounds, 2 blocks, -4

After dominating the early games of the series, Martin has become almost a total non-factor off the bench. Perhaps it was the matchup, perhaps it was Doc Rivers’s ability to exploit Martin’s weaknesses, but the Knicks were usually pounded on offense and non-threatening on defense when Martin took the floor. Zero rebounds in 17 minutes about sums up Martin’s listless effect on this game.

Final Grade: C-

Jason Kidd – 16 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 TOs, -9

Jason Kidd: What the hell, bro?! It seems that Kidd has yet to have a positive impact on any of these games, and this one may have been the worst. In a game the Knicks mostly led by double-digits, Kidd was a team-low -9. Furthermore, his awful fourth quarter stint played a large hand in the Celtics’ comeback. At this point, if Kidd’s best quality is rebounding, just play Prigioni or Shumpert instead, please.

Final Grade: D+

Marcus Camby – 2 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebounds, -4

Camby is getting minutes over Chris Copeland, which is weird. Who knows how Mike Woodson thinks these days. Oh well, if it means Camby is a healthy option at this point, that’s some nice reassurance.

Final Grade: C

The Knicks will move to the second round for the first time since 2000. Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers is Sunday. AHHHHH!!!!!

Apr 28, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Jason Terry (4) reacts after making a three-point basket against the New York Knicks during game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks’ offense to open up a double-digit lead, and push it to 20 early in the third quarter. However, the Knicks battled back, led by a rejuvenated offense suddenly able to find holes in Boston’s defense. It wasn’t a roaring comeback; instead, it took the Knicks almost the entire second half until they finally took a two-point lead in the final two minutes. However, Kevin Garnett hit a clutch jumper to tie it, the Knicks missed their opportunities to go back ahead, and Paul Pierce missed a jumper in the final seconds to win it. In overtime, Jason Terry came up big for the Celtics, sinking back-to-back shots to put Boston up five, and the Knicks missed several attempts to come back into the game. The two teams had back to New York for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Here are player report cards for the game:

Carmelo Anthony – 45 minutes, 36 points, 10-35 FG, 0-7 3FG, 16-20 FT, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 7 TOs, -10

Carmelo Anthony reverted back to old bad habits for a good part of the game, often times hurting the Knicks’ offense. His hands grew far too sticky on numerous occasions, and for the better part of the game, settled for jumpers he wasn’t canning. Obviously missing all seven of his three-pointers hurt the Knicks offense, but he missed some vital free throws in the fourth quarter as well. Interspersed in this general deficiency, however, were some shining moments, such as getting to the foul line 20 times, attacking the basket for easier shots and to draw fouls, and some solid one-on-one defense. Down the stretch, though, when the Knicks needed ‘Melo at his best, he was close to his worst.

Final Grade: C-

Raymond Felton – 48 minutes, 27 points, 10-21 FG, 4-9 3FG, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 TOs, -4

Felton, on the other hand, just added on to an already great series. For much of the game, Felton was the Knicks’ most efficient player on offense, shooting the ball very well, and eventually playing a hand in the probing of the Celtics’ defense that helped the Knicks start scoring to get back into the game. Much of the Knicks’ comeback could be attributed to Felton, especially his 16-point third quarter outburst, punctuated by a 30-foot bomb to end the quarter. His man defense was on-point, coming up with some timely steals and pressuring the Celtics’ ball-handlers for a good portion of the game. It’s a shame that one of Felton’s best individual performances of the season came in a loss.

Final Grade: A

Iman Shumpert – 44 minutes, 12 points, 5-13 FG, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, +5

Mike Woodson’s utilization of Shumpert has always been a little short-leashed considering what Shump can bring to the floor. But Game 4 saw Woodson let Shumpert prove himself on the floor in critical moments, and Shump mostly delivered. Though he bricked some open looks early in the game, he found his stroke – including a couple of late-game threes – was active on the boards, and played rookie-season-style, aggressive defense. In general, Shumpert’s game is almost always dictated by his own aggressiveness, and if he continues attacking on both ends, he’ll warrant more big minute games.

Final Grade: B

Tyson Chandler- 31 minutes, 5 points, 2-3 FG, 11 rebounds, 1 blocks, -6

Thus far, Game 4 was the most normal looking Tyson Chandler we’ve seen in the series. His patented Tyson tap-backs were in full bloom, giving the Knicks very critical extra possessions, he defended the rim and most pick-and-rolls actively, and even threw down a beautiful alley-oopfrom Felton. One small complaint: roll to the basket harder to suck in Boston’s defense or open up his own looks in the pick-and-roll.

Apr 28, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) works to shoot against Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett (5) during the third quarter in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Final Grade: B+

Kenyon Martin – 22 minutes, 4 points, 2-4 FG, 6 rebounds, -1

Martin wasn’t able to rekindle his early series effectiveness. Though he was competent on offense in this one, the Celtics seemed more intent on attacking the rim when Martin was in, and despite his violent swat attempts, he actually doesn’t do that much for New York’s defense. Sometimes a little dose of K-Mart is exactly what the game calls for, but other times, he just doesn’t bring that much. Thankfully in those times, the Knicks now have a healthy Chandler.

Final Grade: C

Pablo Prigioni – 28 minutes, 3 points, 1-6 FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 TO, +1

Prigioni’s gnat-like qualities were on full display in this one. Prigioni pestered ball-handlers and inbound passers with his quick hands and clever tactics, earning him a few minutes of air-time discussion about what type of bug he really is. Though he missed mostly good looks, his presence of the floor seemed to help the Knicks on both ends, and he arguably deserved to be playing at the end of the game instead of Kidd.

Steve Novak – 7 minutes, 3 points, 1-3 FG, 1 rebounds, -9

Novak’s contributions were pretty limited, but he was a part of a pretty futile group that flat-lined to begin the miserable second quarter. The Celtics are simply too disciplined to leave Novak unguarded, and his impact elsewhere isn’t felt.

Final Grade: D+

Jason Kidd – 37 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TOs, -5

Kidd’s three-pointer has disappeared at a bad time, but his presence on the boards, ability to cover multiple positions on defense, and do things like telling Felton to stop complaining to officials are all pretty great. He was effective in this one, though his minutes were definitely boosted by J.R. Smith’s absence, and it still seems like Prigioni could’ve brought more on offense.

Final Grade: B-

Quentin Richardson – 3 minutes, 0 points, 0-2 FG

Richardson’s impact on Game 4 of this series will, for me, forever be represented by his smacking the ball off the bottom of the rim on a reverse layup attempt. That, and seemingly trash talking Paul Pierce from the Knicks bench late in the game.

However, when the Knicks were at their lowliest, giving up an 11-1 run to the Celtics near the end of the third quarter, they turned it around. They cut that lead to three before the fourth quarter began, and in the final 12 minutes, the Knicks out-executed and out-hustled the Celtics in nearly every fashion. The tide turned at the start of the fourth quarter where the Knicks used a highly energetic burst to keep possessions alive with a multitude of offensive rebounds from Kenyon Martin and Raymond Felton. Coupled with some costly Boston turnovers, the Knicks simply got more possessions and took advantage of them with big baskets from Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Martin.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 41 minutes, 36 points, 13-29 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 3 TOs, -3

Anthony kicked off the playoffs about as dreamily as anyone could have imagined -  with a 4-4 start, at one point draining back-to-back three-pointers to set the Garden ablaze. Shortly thereafter, however, ‘Melo was constrained by physical defense from Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, and a mid-range jumper that wouldn’t fall. For the better part of the game, Anthony actually hurt the Knicks’ offense by holding the ball for too long, isolating, and settling for tough, contested jumpers (not that he was getting the calls when he got bullied around the basket). Regardless, when the fourth quarter came around, he turned it around. He dropped in eight of the Knicks’ 18 fourth-quarter points on 4-5 shooting, and sealed the game with a lovely assist to a cutting Kenyon Martin for the layup. Hopefully the fourth quarter proves to be a wake-up call for Anthony not to deviate from his season-long unselfishness and overall brilliance on offense.

Final Grade: B

J.R. Smith – 32 minutes, 15 points, 7-19 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 TOs, 0 +/-

Smith proved to be a big boost off the bench when he checked in early in the first quarter. A driving slam in Jeff Green’s mouth and his usual antics on step-backs and whirly drives to the rim excited the crowd and sparked the Knicks’ offense. However, later in the game, Smith puked away some precious opportunities by laying bricks on open three-point attempts. What could have gone down as a late-game choke, however, was redeemed when Smith trailed a fastbreak by the Celtics and stole back a critical possession, and later came up with game-changing and-one, absurdly athletic layup.

Final Grade: B-

Raymond Felton – 43 minutes, 13 points, 5-13 FG, 1-3 3FG, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 TOs, +16

With Pablo Prigioni sidelined for Game 1, Felton logged a ton of minutes, but they were generally fruitful minutes. Though he missed some bunnies at the rim and floaters in the paint, Felton mostly commandeered the offense to the best of his abilities; most shortcomings were not the result of his own incompetence. Likewise, on defense, Felton gave the Knicks many more opportunities to score (especially in the first half) by coming up with great steals on fronts and switches, tapping away passes, or even blocking Avery Bradley’s jumper. Though he could’ve been more aggressive in trying to evade Boston’s hedging and trapping in the pick-and-roll, Felton was pretty careful with his dribble and passes, and put the Knicks in good position to score for a majority of the game.

Final Grade: B+

Kenyon Martin – 28 minutes, 10 points, 4-7 FG, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, -1

Martin returned from a brief absence due to an ankle injury and played huge minutes in Tyson Chandler’s stead (more on that later). His hustle in the fourth quarter gave the Knicks some much-needed second and third attempts at the basket, and he came up with two huge buckets of his own: a put-back and-one layup off an offensive board, and a crafty slip of the pick-and-roll late in the game, in which ‘Melo hit him with the pass for the easy lay-in. Earlier, however, Martin was just as great, at one time swatting Jason Terry’s dunk attempt away, and another, finding himself open on a pick-and-roll for a rim-shaking dunk. Yeah, Kenyon Martin was pretty awesome today.

Final Grade: A

Jason Kidd – 35 minutes, 8 points, 2-6 FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, -5

Kidd’s only two baskets came in the first half, and they were important, momentum-busting three-pointers. And while his offense faded later in the game, his playing time did not. And it wasn’t just as a result of Prigioni’s absence. Kidd proved incredibly valuable in the game-changing fourth quarter as he came up with some big rebounds, and some oh-so crucial steals on defense. Deflections, strips, and just out-right mid-pass swipes – Kidd’s defense represented a suddenly stingy effort from the Knicks on that end late in the game. Though Woodson’s insistence on playing Kidd big minutes has been questioned before, Kidd’s worth will undoubtedly be felt in the playoffs where he is just never rattled.

Final Grade: B+

Iman Shumpert – 22 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4 TOs, +8

It’s important to remember that this is only Shumpert’s first whole playoff game. Considering his only playoff experience came in a blowout where he tore is ACL, it’s understandable that the flat-topped one looked a little shaken by the intensity of the game. He seemed hesitant to pull from deep (though he hit one of two attempts), and he seemed unsure of what to do whenever he tried to create for himself. Some silly turnovers pulled him out of Woodson’s rotation, and when he picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, he was done for good.

Final Grade: C

Tyson Chandler – 20 minutes, 0 points, 0-0 FG, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, +8

The excitement of the comeback win will block out worries about Chandler for a little while, but when the excitement wears off, we’ll all feel nervous. Chandler, perhaps from injury, perhaps from missing most of the last month, looked immobile and out-of-sync on the floor. His rotations weren’t as crispy as usual, his dives to the basket in the pick-and-roll created little space or attention, and by the second half, he was almost totally ineffective. Martin filled his shoes more than admirably, but let’s just hope Chandler was getting used to the flow of the game.

Final Grade: C

Chris Copeland – 13 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 1 rebound, 1 steal, +11

It’s a little unfair of Mike Woodson to ask Copeland, who hardly received consistent PT this season, to suddenly start against the Celtics in the playoffs. His +/- is inflated by being on the floor for the Knicks’ hot start, but he was almost invisible for the duration of the game. Missing arrhythmic jumpers is one thing; tripping on a fastbreak smells strongly of a nervous rookie thinking of what he’s going to do too much.

Final Grade: D+

Steve Novak – 5 minutes, 0 points, 0-0 FG, +1

The Celtics, and moreover, Doc Rivers, are far too disciplined to just leave Novak alone for three-pointers. Just like last postseason, if Novak wants shot attempts, the Knicks will have to run plays for him, give him screens, and make him move. Otherwise, he’ll just be a floor-spacer and a guy the defense attacks.

Well, three quarters of aggravating, nerve-racking basketball led to an impressive comeback in the fourth quarter. The Knicks lead the series, still hold homecourt, and have now gotten their feet wet. We’ll anxiously await Game 2 on Tuesday.

Follow Scott Davis on Twitter: @WScottDavis

Nevertheless, the Knicks and the Bobcats completed a game. With New York resting Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Raymond Felton, and Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin still inactive, the young, spry, mostly healthy Bobcats took advantage of a short-handed squad simply playing out the minutes. The Knicks only played seven players (more on that below), and from the get-go, their lack of offense, inability to stop Charlotte’s penetration, and general lack of motivation wasn’t enough to carry them to win number 54 on the season or a sweep of their season series with Charlotte.

Here’s a look at the individual performances with player report cards:

Chris Copeland – 47 minutes, 32 points, 12-25 FG, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Without any other consistent shot-creators, Copeland’s hands got extra sticky tonight on his way to a new career-high in points. Copeland did his work in a variety of ways – inside on post-ups, off the dribble from all ranges, and deep (4-8 from beyond the arc). It still remains a mystery how much spin Cope will get in the playoffs (it probably depends on the health of New York’s other big men), but he’s filled in ably in recent games, and his scoring touch has been pleasant revelation this season.

Final Grade: A-

Steve Novak – 41 minutes, 17 points, 6-9 FG, 5-7 3FG, 7 rebounds

Novak’s well-groomed touch tonight helped erase a generally disheartening inability to stop any one of the Bobcats that came at him on defense. First it was John McRoberts and Gerald Henderson blowing by him to the rim, then it was Kemba Walker teasing him on some dribble-dribble-stepbacks that he’s oh-so-smooth at, and even getting posted up by Bismack Biyombo. But hey – 7 rebounds!

Final Grade: B

James White – 43 minutes, 15 points, 5-9 FG, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Arguably the prettiest stat line of the night, and I’m guessing a career-high in minutes, cheers to James White looking like a competent basketball player! White’s baskets all seemed kind of difficult to come by, but when they did, there were nice. A side-step into a dunk in transition, a turn-around jumper on the baseline… very nice, James.

Final Grade: B

Iman Shumpert – 42 minutes, 14 points, 5-16 FG, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 TOs

With Felton sitting out and Pablo Prigioni starting at point guard, Shumpert saw a lot more time on the ball. At times, this led to some scintillating dribble drives – a double-crossover into a layup and another Dr. J-esque reverse come to mind – and other times it led to bad shots and ineffective kick-outs. It was a little disappointing not to see Shump take on a larger role as a scorer and passer given the Knicks’ short-handedness, but he, too, was in coast mode, knowing the game meant next to nothing, and he needs to conserve himself for the playoffs.

Final Grade: C+

Pablo Prigioni – 42 minutes, 9 points, 3-9 FG, 8 assists, 1 steal

Prigioni probably preferred to not play 42 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back – his body language kinda reflected it, to be honest – but here we are. Prigs struggled to stay in front of any Bobcat he switched onto, couldn’t much find the range on his jumper, and was even more hesistant than usual to bust into the paint for some dribble penetration. As the game wore on, however, he threw some lovely dimes, and once again I was left thinking about what it’d be like if he came to the NBA five years ago.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 21 minutes, 6 points, 2-8 FG, 2 rebounds, 6 assists

A+ for his 30-foot banker to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter. The rest of his game was a bit listless, but if not for the Knicks’ dwindling available bodies, Kidd probably wouldn’t have played, either.

Final Grade: C

Rasheed Wallace – 4 minutes, 2 points, 1-3 FG

Rasheed Wallace was an assumed goner for the season, then all of the sudden, he popped up yesterday, and tonight he played… for almost four minutes. ‘Sheed hopped off the bench, promptly hit a deep turn-around jumper, and returned to the bench minutes later after air-balling a three-pointer, and getting blocked at the rim. He didn’t return because of a sore foot (the one he had operated on this year), and evidently didn’t speak to media. When we’ll see ‘Sheed again remains a mystery, but as Knicks fans, we can all cherish those first ten seconds tonight.

Final Grade: B-

Please excuse the general brevity and disinterest. Today’s events took the fun away from what could’ve been a relaxing, meaningless blowout, and it was a bit hard to get too into this game. I have friends and acquaintances in Boston, and thankfully, they’re all OK, but my heart goes out to anyone and everyone affected by the explosions today. These events serve to remind how lucky we are for our general safety and how quickly things can change in life. I wish everyone the best out there.

The Knicks end their regular season Wednesday night back in New York against Atlanta.

In the first half, when the Knicks’ threes were falling, New York was able to withstand a fairly sluggish Bulls’ offense. But as the Knicks got progressively colder, their attempts to move within the arc were ill-fated as were their chances at getting new possessions with offensive rebounds. Furthermore, the lack of size almost ensured automatic paint points for the Bulls, and when their deep shots started falling, they were able to spread the Knicks’ defense thin. However, New York still battled after blowing a 17-point lead and falling behind by as many as seven points. A series of quick inside buckets from J.R. Smith and some clutch free throws and big stops brought the Knicks to overtime. However, the Knicks’ short rotation, lack of interior presence, and icy strokes buried them into a bigger hole in overtime, this on inescapable.

While disappointing, the loss doesn’t mean much for the Knicks. They still hold over a game lead on Indiana for second place, the Bulls further solidified their hold on fifth place, and the Knicks have already locked up the Atlantic Division already. The streak was going to stop sometime, and for it to happen on the road, versus a good team, without any big men… it could be worse.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 45 minutes, 36 points, 13-34 FG, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Props to ‘Melo for filling in at the five (at times) so admirably and legitimately trying to defend the paint, and actually crashing the boards hard. It’s a shame that a hot start in the first quarter fizzled out so dramatically over the rest of the game. Anthony tried to take the ball to the paint, missed some tough baskets over numerous defenders, got whacked but without any calls, or just flat-out missed bunnies he should’ve had. Like the end of the win streak, it was bound to happen at some point. Missing that game-tying pull-up jumper that he’s usually money on was a heartbreaker.

Final Grade: B

J.R. Smith – 42 minutes, 28 points, 11-27 FG, 14 rebounds, 4 assists

Smith and Anthony’s combined stats look aesthetically pleasing except for that big ole bruise in the middle – 24-61 combined shooting. The efficiency left something to be desired, and some poorly timed launches from downtown and a similar situation as ‘Melo’s at the rim really left a lot of empty possessions on the court. Credit on the boards to J.R. as well, but his inefficient offense and troubled defense on all of Chicago’s guards hurt the Knicks a bit kinda a lot. Also, -32 for the game. As has seemed to the case lately, the Knicks’ hot start cooled down when Woodson checked Smith in way too early for Prigioni.

Final Grade: C

Raymond Felton – 49 minutes, 19 points, 8-17 FG, 5 rebounds, 6 assists

Felton had a good, aggressive game for the most part, but was plagued by an inability to finish over Chicago’s big men (especially without the presence of Chandler or K-Mart to fill in on the roll) and a sensitive referee’s whistle. Felton spent a lot of time complaining to officials – somewhat justifiably – for some tick tacky fouls, and it might’ve taken his head out of the game a little bit. A fall on the opening tip of overtime, in which Felton grasped his knee on the floor, somehow didn’t take Ray out of the game, but it completely diminished his impact. We’ll see what’s said about the injury afterwards.

Final Grade: B

Chris Copeland – 29 minutes, 14 points, 4-14 FG, 3-8 3FG, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Copeland’s initial hot start contributed to the Knicks’ early success as Carlos Boozer failed to rotate out on some pick-and-pops early on. However, much like the rest of the team, Cope’s hand was shoved in the freezer by a stauncher Bulls defense. From there, Copeland, who hadn’t a shot at defending Boozer in the post or deterring any drivers, began to launch ill-advised, arrhythmic jumpers. His minutes dwindled with his effectiveness as the game progressed.

Final Grade: C-

Iman Shumpert – 26 minutes, 3-3 FG, 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 6 PFs

Shumpert’s minutes were fairly quiet in this one. He was efficient on offense, but didn’t get a whole lot of open looks and didn’t create as much off the dribble as we’ve become used to seeing. His best sequence likely came in locking up Nate Robinson in the final 30 seconds of regulation to give the Knicks another shot (resulted in game-tying ‘Melo FTs).

Final Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni – 24 minutes, 7 points, 3-4 FG, 2 assists

Recycle and reuse. Prigioni began the game playing well and deteriorated as it progressed. His open shots stopped falling and he played a part in back-to-back turnovers that led to back-to-back Jimmy Butler dunks that sparked the Bulls’ comeback run. Don’t think we saw Prigs again afterwards.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 37 minutes, 0 points, 0-4 FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

An almost entirely ineffective Jason Kidd on both ends of the floor probably shouldn’t have been seeing 37 minutes tonight. Not that Prigioni or Shumpert were hugely better options, but Kidd produced very little in terms of staying in front of Chicago’s guards, switching effectively onto big men, or hitting open shots.

Final Grade: D+

Steve Novak – 12 minutes, 0-1 FG

Novak missed his only shot. That’s the only thing I recall him doing.

Final Grade: D

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots over Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem (40) during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After a first half in which the Knicks struggled to contain Miami’s dribble penetration, the Knicks locked down in the second half and allowed just 32 combined points. Intense trapping and notably crisper rotations stifled Miami’s offense on the perimeter, and the outside looks they created so fluidly in the first half stopped falling. Inside, the Knicks denied the Heat at almost every opportunity, intentionally clobbering anybody within arm’s reach of the basket. On offense, the Knicks relied on a heavy serving of Carmelo Anthony’s own majesty, but Raymond Felton, Kenyon Martin, and J.R. Smith all came up with key contributions in the fourth quarter to build the Knicks lead.

Winners of nine in a row, the Knicks moved a step closer to securing the Atlantic Division and the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s a look at the individual performances with player report cards:

Carmelo Anthony – 40 minutes, 50 points, 18-26 FG, 7-10 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Officially the most venomous offensive output we’ve gotten from Anthony in a Knicks uniform. The career-high-tying performance was the first time ‘Melo has reached 50 since coming to the Knicks, and frankly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Though the performance would’ve been almost too sweet against a fully-armed Heat team, the Knicks needed every one of ‘Melo’s baskets to repress a Heat lineup that recently beat the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio.

The amazing part of Anthony’s performance is not a single point came within the paint, and he only managed eight free throw attempts despite Miami’s physical defense. After initially torching the Heat off the catch, Anthony was forced to create for himself a bit more, but even still, these attempts off the bounce were almost all in the form of pull-up jumpers over draping defenders. That assist tally is also skewed as Knicks not named Carmelo Anthony often failed to capitalize on the open looks Anthony created for them after evading a double team. One, perhaps momentum-turning assist, though, came at the end of the third quarter, as ‘Melo slashed into the lane off the dribble, pulled in the Heat’s defense, and kicked it out to an open Steve Novak, who drained the corner three to beat the buzzer. Simply excellent stuff all around from Anthony tonight.

Final Grade: A+

J.R. Smith – 30 minutes, 14 points, 5-15 FG, 2-3 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Smith’s basket-bound ways were oddly halted tonight as he seemed stooped by his inability to break down the Heat off the dribble. The likes of Mike Miller and Ray Allen wouldn’t seem like the combination to defy Smith’s work off the dribble, but they prevented his penetration a good amount, and when Smith did get into the paint, he was blocked by any number of the Heat’s big men. Smith’s jumper wasn’t wholly reliable, either, but his late fourth quarter three put the Knicks up 11 with less than two remaining, and acted as the essential dagger. Not exactly what we’ve gotten used to over the past two weeks, but good enough tonight.

Final Grade: C+

Raymond Felton – 38 minutes, 10 points, 4-9 FG, 9 assists, 1 steal, 4 TOs

Felton struggled mightily in the first half to escape Miami’s traps in the pick-and-roll, and he killed the Knicks with some in-and-out three-pointers off nice ball movement. Furthermore, Felton’s inability to stick with any of Miami’s guards – regardless of age, size, or quickness, killed the Knicks’ perimeter D (though he wasn’t the only offender). In the second half, however, Felton did an admirable job containing Norris Cole on the perimeter, fighting over screens, or scurrying out to shooters on rotations and switches. He also broke down Miami’s pick-and-roll trapping by splitting the defense a number of times, getting to the basket, and setting up teammates. In the fourth quarter, Felton nailed two important step-back jumpers to slowly build the Knicks’ lead, and eventually bury the Heat.

Final Grade: B-

Kenyon Martin – 24 minutes, 9 points, 4-7 FG, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 PFs

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) drives to the basket as Miami Heat power forward Chris Andersen (11) defends during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Martin was removed from the starting lineup with Tyson Chandler’s return, but still played around the same amount of time as he’d been seeing as the de facto center. Martin played a part in the physical, blanketing defense in the second half, and he also had some nice finishes – a JAM in Chris Andersen’s face and a baby-hook – to buoy the Knicks offense when it wasn’t going through ‘Melo. As the Knicks get a little healthier, it’ll be interesting to see if Martin remains coming off the bench, or moves to the four in the starting lineup alongside Chandler.

Final Grade: B

Iman Shumpert – 23 minutes, 9 points, 3-5 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Shumpert didn’t see a ton of time when the Knicks could’ve used a solid perimeter defender, oddly, and he didn’t really play much of a part in the turn-around in the second half. Shump’s contributions were almost solely on the offensive end, and those were solely from downtown, as he canned his first three looks from beyond the arc. Though he didn’t do much after that a three-pointer early in the third quarter, all three of his makes were important in keeping the Knicks in the game and withstanding a Miami run.

Final Grade: C+

Steve Novak – 13 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG

Hacked Chris Andersen under the basket, and nailed the aforementioned buzzer-beating three in the third quarter. That was about it, but they were nice second half contributions. He’s now made a three-pointer in each of the last eight games.

Final Grade: C

Chris Copeland – 7 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG, 1 rebound

Copeland had a nice and-one baseline drive in the first half, and that was pretty much it. Copeland figures to lose minutes with Chandler back, Martin coming off the bench, and Camby still looming around the bench.

Final Grade: C

Pablo Prigioni – 13 minutes, 3 points, 1-1 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal

Prigioni also struggled early on with Miami’s aggressive pick-and-roll defense, though he contributed to some nice ball movement that led to shots that just didn’t fall. He had a couple of other nice moments drawing charges/offensive fouls, and regaining possession by stealing the ball from Norris Cole after Pablo turned it over, racing down court, ignoring a numbers advantage, and nailing a decidedly badass pull-up three. He didn’t get off the bench again after he was subbed out early in the third quarter.

Final Grade: B

Tyson Chandler – 24 minutes, 1 point, 0-2 FG, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 TOs

Chandler’s first game back from a bulging disc in his neck was mostly forgettable. He had little elevation when he jumped, and he stumbled and fumbled his way around the basket on offense. On defense, his effect was mostly mitigated by Chris Bosh’s ability to pull him away from the paint and eliminate Chandler’s defensive directing. One violent, come-from-behind swat on a Bosh layup attempt made up for all prior wrong-doings.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 27 minutes, 0-2 FG, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

27 minutes is a lot of playing time for a guy that couldn’t hit his shots and couldn’t really stay in front of Miami’s guards, though, like everyone else, he did better in the second half. Some of Kidd’s minutes might have better gone to Prigioni, but as usual, Kidd always has an effect on the offense or defense that doesn’t show up in the box score, and it probably played a part in the Knicks’ ultimate success.

Final Grade: C-

Follow Scott Davis on Twitter: @WScottDavis

Let’s take a look at the individual performances:

J.R. Smith – 31 minutes, 20 points, 5-13 FG, 9-10 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 TOs

Smith wasn’t all that efficient from the field, but he rebounded from a woeful game against the Clippers Sunday afternoon. Smith, surprisingly keenly, worked off the dribble to get into the lane and draw contact from the Jazz. His 9 free throws seemed to get him going as thereafter he cut down on some of the silly passes he’d made in the first quarter, and he continued to drive to the hoop. However, his biggest shot came late in the fourth quarter when he nailed a step-back jumper to put the Knicks up five.

Final Grade: B

Raymond Felton – 42 minutes, 19 points, 8-12 FG, 4 assists, 3 steals

Though Felton is still absolutely maddening to watch on defense as he has no clue how to navigate a pick or handle a switch, his efficient night on the other end of the floor was huge for the Knicks. A couple of times, Felton called his own number and worked off the bounce to slink his way to the hoop – one of which was a beautiful split out of a double team and a floater in the lane – or to pull up behind the arc when defenders went under the pick. He also worked some surprising pick-and-roll magic with Kurt Thomas to set up the big man for some easy baskets. Some iffy defense on Mo Williams at times, but the Knicks don’t win this game without Felton’s contributions.

Final Grade: A-

Chris Copeland – 31 minutes, 14 points, 6-15 FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Copeland got the start at power forward and immediately provided everything Knicks fans have clamored for on offense and everything else Mike Woodson was reluctant to play him for. Copeland still manages to drive to the cup like a drunken ballerina and score at odd angles, and at times, his go-to presence in the post and on face-ups opened up the Knicks’ defense. However, a number of these lovely moments were coupled with some “SMH” moments, too. One in particular where he attempted to lead the charge up the court in the final seconds of the third quarter, went straight into a double-team, lost the ball at halfcourt, and made no effort to get it back while Utah heaved a last-second shot (which luckily missed). Copeland is no doubt useful for this injury-bedeviled squad, but at times it’s easy to understand Woodson’s luke warm feelings towards giving the rookie minutes.

Final Grade: B-

Kenyon Martin – 21 minutes, 9 points, 4-6 FG, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

It’s pretty amazing how seamlessly Martin’s been able to fit in with this squad, especially considering the lack of training and practice time. He has nice presence in the pick-and-roll, can still finish around the basket, and he brings a tenacity on defense that, while not as efficient as Tyson Chandler’s, is a bit more hostile. I grow more fond of one of my former least favorite players with every surprisingly explosive blocked shot, slipped pick, and aggressive dunk.

Final Grade: B+

Iman Shumpert – 17 minutes, 8 points, 3-7 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Shump’s outside stroke appears to have returned and that’s a great thing for the Knicks. Though his playing time all but evaporated in the second half, in the opening two quarters, Shump drained two back-to-back corner 3s off beautiful ball movement and generally played a part in some sturdy perimeter defense that only gave up 44 points to the Jazz at halftime.

Final Grade: B-

Jason Kidd – 28 minutes, 7 points, 2-5 FG, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Kidd has looked far more comfortable coming off the bench lately, despite the still-high minutes he receives. His stroke looks more confident, he’s daring to dribble the ball around the perimeter and actually inside of the arc, too. However, Kidd’s best contributions of the night came on the defensive boards where, more often than reflected in the box score, he tipped out, secured, or stole extra possessions from Utah’s big men. As a Knicks fan, it’s strange to praise Kenyon Martin and Jason Kidd in the same recap.

Final Grade: C+

Kurt Thomas – 27 minutes, 6 points, 3-5 FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks

Game ball, sir. A well earned game ball. Kurt Thomas, earlier facing the possible end of his season, provided us with a terrific potential swan song, all the while evoking memories of a young Kurt ballin’ on peach baskets with Dr. James Naismith. Thomas managed to almost entirely lock up Al Jefferson and deter some drivers while on offense, working some magic in the PnR, dishing to open teammates, and providing energy to a team desperately needing it. If Thomas does in fact have a season-ending injury, I’m glad that this was his last game, because truly, it was magnificent.

Final Grade: A

Pablo Prigioni – 20 minutes, 3 points, 1-3 FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists

Prigioni got his first NBA start tonight and did most of the ball-handling in the first half. He didn’t play much after halftime, but with Kidd and Felton playing well, his services weren’t quite as needed. He did all of typical Prigs things: threw some spicy pocket passes, hit a three-pointer, snuck into the paint and stole some offensive rebounds. It’ll be curious to see if Woodson starts him again for Wednesday’s game.

Final Grade: C+

Steve Novak – 17 minutes, 4 points, 4-5 FT, 2 rebounds

Novak didn’t connect on any of his good looks from downtown, but he *did* steal a pass, dribble all the way down the court, and wait just long enough to be bailed out by a foul from a foolish Utah guard on a surely doomed fastbreak attempt. Cool.

Final Grade: C-

Marcus Camby – 7 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Camby oddly didn’t play after the first half. In his brief stint on the court, though, he looked good, providing the Knicks with some solid interior defense. What this means for future games, I have no idea, because Camby is probably the most unpredictable player on this roster.

The Knicks will fly back to New York for a Wednesday game, surely satisfied with a tough win in a desperate situation.

The Knicks opened the first half playing their best basketball, perhaps, of 2013. They defend with aggression, trapping the Heat’s ball-handlers and blowing up pick-and-rolls with hard hedges; they collapsed on drivers, closed out hard on shooters, and forced the Heat into a bevy of turnovers and sloppy possessions. On offense, led by Carmelo Anthony repeatedly punishing whoever tried to defend him, the Knicks moved the ball crisply, inside and outside, setting up wide open looks from beyond the arc (a good portion of which were canned by a revitalized Jason Kidd), or clear paths to the rim. It was the most exciting, enjoyable half of basketball the Knicks had played in quite some time. They led by 14 at halftime.

And it would last for merely a half. The Heat, as the Knicks should have predicted, flipped the switch in the second half. LeBron James switched onto Carmelo Anthony and locked him up, denying Anthony any clean looks to the basket and effectively disallowing Anthony to thrive at the free throw line as he did in the first half. The Knicks swift ball movement faltered, and suddenly, all of the shots they’d made in the first half stopped falling. On the other end, the Heat pushed the ball to a tempo the Knicks just couldn’t keep up with. LeBron James prodded the Knicks’ defense, parting it on his way to the basket, or scrambling it with skip passes or drive-and-kicks to open shooters and cutters.

In the final two minutes, the game still within a basket, James attacked the basket hard for a lefty layup. After J.R. Smith squandered a possession with an ill-advised three-pointer, Miami got Chris Bosh and open shot at the top of the key, which he sank. Four-point game. On the next Knicks possession, Smith turned the ball over to a lurking James who went full steam ahead, and threw the ball down for a wide-open dunk. Ball-game.

Here’s a look at the individual performances for the Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony – 42 minutes, 32 points, 9-19 FG, 13-14 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 assists

Early on, ‘Melo had that look that he just wouldn’t be stopped. He canned his first four shot attempts, and bullied his way to the basket to live at the free throw line. 24 points on 8 shots in the opening half. However, LeBron James, Anthony’s clealry superior peer, locked Anthony up in the second half. Anthony scored just 8 points on 11 shots in the second half, and stood no chance of stopping James on offense. Not quite the heroic performance it looked to be at the onset.

Final Grade: B

Jason Kidd – 34 minutes, 14 points, 4-5 3FG, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals

Kidd snapped a two-month long drought in dramatic fashion. In the first half, Kidd stepped into and confident sank four three-pointers to ignite the Knicks’ offense and the Garden crowd. Though his offense didn’t sustain in the second half (who expected that it would?), Kidd continually made great plays on both ends, disrupting the Heat’s offense with steals and deflections, while making some great passes and collecting important rebounds. Unfortunately, 34 minutes in Pablo Prigioni’s stead may have very well pooped Kidd out by the end of the game.

Final Grade: A

J.R. Smith – 36 minutes, 13 points, 5-18 FG, 3-14 3FG, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 TOs

His three 3-pointers all felt important. His 11 misses from beyond the arc were devastatingly crucial to the game’s outcome. His decision to ignore Carmelo Anthony, down two, with 1:30 remaining, and take and brick a pull-up 3-pointer was back-breaking. His telegraphed pass – which was picked off by James – on the Knicks’ final Hail-Mary possession was game-sealing. Cool 12 rebounds, though.

Final Grade: C-

Amar’e Stoudemire – 21 minutes, 12 points, 5-7 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 block

Stoudemire began the game in a really rough fashion – turning the ball over, getting stuffed under the hoop, and playing porous defense. However, as the game went on, Stoudemire smoothed himself out, occasionally playing nice help defense, and picking his spots on offense. His brief minutes as feature of the Knicks’ offense earned him back-to-back dunks. Count me in the group that is puzzled by Woodson’s substitution pattern with Stoudemire – every time Stoudemire gets in a groove, he gets yanked.

Final Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler – 34 minutes, 10 points, 4-7 FG, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Smaller matchups – such as Chris Bosh – do not usually bode well for Chandler, but he held his own today. (Part of that is because Bosh kinda sucked for three quarters). Chandler seemed a little rushed on the court, often dropping passes on easy feeds, and sometimes helping a little too generously on defense, though for the most part, Chandler anchored the Knicks wonderfully on the end. The no-call block by James on Chandler’s layup attempt in the final minutes was a momentum-changer.

Final Grade: B

Raymond Felton – 31 minutes, 9 points, 3-8 FG, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 4 TOs

The thing where Felton tries to take over the Knicks’ offense in crucial moments of the game isn’t a good look. Down the stretch, Felton’s decision-making was mostly bad, as he failed to get Anthony in the ball, or evade the Heat’s traps on pick-and-rolls. This led to a little too much one-on-one play as Felton tried to take it to the basket and finish himself. As a whole, Felton spent most of the game taking a backseat to Jason Kidd’s command on offense, while doing a commendable job making Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole non-factors. Felton’s turnover off his foot in the final two minutes hurt pretty bad, too.

Final Grade: C

Iman Shumpert – 21 minutes, 3 points, 1-4 FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Shumpert’s energy to begin the game was a huge spark. He deflected a good number of passes and dribbles, crashed the glass for rebounds, dove for loose balls, and was a blur up and down the court. Though it doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, his effort was an intangible factor that led to the Knicks’ first half dominance. He faded in the second half, though, and hardly saw any court time, even with Smith misfiring pretty woefully.

Final Grade: C+

Steve Novak – 12 minutes, 0-3 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Novak’s releasing the ball too quickly, pulling down his follow-through too quickly, and thinking too much. For the most part, I’d rather Novak shoot over closing defenses, try and draw a foul, or pump fake, take two dribbles in, and pull up. For now, he remains a liability on the court.

Final Grade: D

James White – 8 minutes, 0-1 FG, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 TOs

James White started the game for Jason Kidd. He committed three fouls and a turnover in less than five minutes to open the game. In the second half, he air-balled his first and only shot attempt. This reminded me that I would give Oklahoma City their 2nd round draft pick back for Ronnie Brewer.

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) puts up a layup against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Raptors won the game 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

So, just short of a year later, the Knicks sort of rehashed that riveting come-from-behind win. Except while the flaming-bag-of-dog-poop execution was there for the whole 48 minutes, the spirited comeback was not. Instead, on their home floor, the Knicks squandered multiple opportunities, failing to get critical stops when they needed them, missing a litany of supremely make-able shots down the stretch.

Throughout the night, the Knicks’ offense sputtered in a way we haven’t seen this season. While the defense hasn’t been anything to rest their hats on  the Knicks’ offense has remained consistently competent, no matter the opponent. Not tonight. Perhaps with their minds on the six-day All-Star break ahead, and partying with P. Diddy, the Knicks simply missed looks that they normally make. For the game, New York shot 35% from the field, 36% from three-point range, and 71% from the free throw line. Regardless of their defense – it was solid in the first half, but they consented 56 points to the Raps in the second half – there’s very little chance of winning when a team is misfiring so frequently.

The game was wholly ugly and disappointing; I wouldn’t expect much more from the proceeding player report cards:

J.R. Smith – 34 minutes, 26 points, 8-17 FG, 5-10 3FG, 4 rebounds

Smith was the lone Knick to take over seven field goal attempts and make more than 40% of them – who woulda thought? Smith was one of the few bright spots in the Knicks’ offense tonight, canning most of his looks from the outside, but occasionally mixing it up and taking it to the basket. However, on defense, Smith’s fourth quarter lapses proved to be vital. A number of times he was abused off the dribble, allowing DeMar DeRozan and Alan Anderson to get to their preferred spots and put the ball in the basket. A hint for Smith, as it’s become a game-to-game trend: force right-handed shooters to their left.

Final Grade: B

Raymond Felton – 31 minutes, 16 points, 3-9 FG, 10-12 FT, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 4 TOs

Felton did the bulk of his scoring at the line, earning most of his free throws from hard-nosed drives to the rim. Unfortunately for Felton – and the Knicks, actually – he couldn’t get all of those inside looks to drop, missing two critical layups in the final 3:30 of the game. Felton did a decent enough job setting up teammates either off drive-and-kicks or the pick-and-roll, but as noted by the team’s overall FG%, Felton came up empty-handed on a number of assist attempts. Felton’s defensive philosophy continues to baffle, going under screens, switching off guards, but fighting over screens and trying to stick with bigger forwards.

Final Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony – 41 minutes, 12 points, 5-24 FG, 1-6 3FG, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 TOs

I’m regretting Carmelo Anthony making the All-Star team. Honorable (in a sense) as the nomination may be, Anthony could use a rest. Anthony is averaging 40 minutes per game in 2013, and it may be affecting his offense. Or maybe tonight was just one of those nights. Anthony’s shots just didn’t drop from anywhere. He rimmed out jumpers, and found himself smothered when he drove the lane and couldn’t find the opening to put the ball in the basket. The fact that he only drew four FTs on these defender-draped drives is a little suspicious. Either way, please, Melo, don’t do this to us again. Nice job on defense (Rudy Gay, his counterpart most of the night, shot just 4-21) and on the boards, though!

Final Grade: C-

Tyson Chandler – 34 minutes, 10 points, 4-6 FG, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Chandler pretty much stayed par for the course tonight; he did his usual Chandler things. He covered up a number of holes on defense, respectably staying in front of guards on switches, affecting attempts at the basket, and even doing some early trapping on pick-and-rolls. On offense, he finished the looks he got. The Knicks strayed from the Felton-Chandler pick-and-roll when it got hot in the fourth because…?

Final Grade: B+

Amar’e Stoudemire – 18 minutes, 10 points, 4-13 FG, 7 rebounds

At one point in the third quarter, Stoudemire leaked out, received an outlet from Anthony, and with one defender back, bricked an open layup, and then air-balled the follow-up attempt. It was that kind of night. It’s a shame that STAT’s most active game on the boards in awhile came on a night when he couldn’t get his shots to drop.

Final Grade: C

Steve Novak – 12 minutes, 9 points, 3-4 3FG, 4 rebounds

Novak was also one of the few bright spots tonight, and that was only for a quarter. Novak came off the bench in the first half and canned all his looks from downtown in the second quarter, looking like the Novak of 2011-12. He also grabbed four rebounds, which is nice, because there were plenty to spare.

Final Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert – 21 minutes, 5 points, 1-3 FG, 7 rebounds, 1 steal

Shumpert’s placement at small forward has done absolutely nothing for him, and it’s about time the experiment ended. My guy feeling is that Shump has been feeling discomfort in his knee (perhaps just regular wear and tear), and it has thrown off his game. He is hesitant on offense, far less aggressive on defense, and generally a non-factor on the court. Perhaps some rest time and a move to a bench role could revitalize him.

Final Grade: C-

Jason Kidd – 32 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Kidd has dragged himself into the All-Star break, averaging 3.5 points on 23% shooting from the field. Unlike Shumpert above, whomay need a break and role change, Kidd absolutely needs time off and reduced role. He can’t hit anything outside, he’s lost his step that was helping the Knicks’ offense flow, and putting him on bigger and/or faster guards isn’t helping the cause

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 7 minutes, 0 points, 0-0 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist

With trade rumors floating around the Knicks and Timberwolves, it’s possible Prigioni may not come back from All-Star break a Knick (if a deal does transpire, which seems like a stretch right now. OK. Breathe. Sorry. I’m OK. Just… I like Pablo). However, at this point, Prigioni doesn’t seem to be included in any major part of the Knicks’ ultimate success. His minutes are dwindling and his production is pretty uneven.

Well, that concludes the “first half” of the season. I can honestly say I hope to see this exact same group of Knicks return next week, hopefully 100% healthy, and see what they can do in the remaining 32 games. No doubt, though, the Knicks go into this break limping pretty noticeably.

February 6, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards power forward Kevin Seraphin (13) shoots the ball as New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) defends in the second quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the outcome of the game could’ve been predicted by New York’s start. The Wizards raced out to a 16-8 lead, taking advantage of the Knicks’ porous defense, where switches and rotations often went without execution or communication. Though the Knicks quickly caught up through some dishing and swishing from Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton, the poor start was a sign of things to come. The two teams exchanged blows throughout the first half with Amar’e Stoudemire providing a nice spark off the bench to combine with the Felton-Anthony punch for the Knicks. For the Wizards, John Wall and the hot shooting from Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster provided them with enough power to take a 51-48 lead going into halftime.

The second half was mostly miserable for the Knicks. A slow start to the third quarter found the Knicks down by nine points as they continued to defend poorly. Missing ten of their first eleven attempts from the field didn’t help either. Once again, the Knicks had to dig themselves out of an early hole, still led by Anthony and Stoudemire. The fourth quarter brought more of the same for the Knicks, minus the late resurgence. The collapse was almost entirely on the defensive end where the Knicks couldn’t handle John Wall’s penetration off high pick-and-rolls. If they were able to contain the dribble drive, or even force a miss, the Wizards canned open looks from downtown from the Knicks’ repeated collapses on the pick-and-roll. On offense, the Knicks stagnated and just couldn’t produce enough to get closer than two baskets.

The Wizards stuck two daggers in the forms of a Martell Webster open corner three, and a Trevor Ariza offensive rebound-putback layup. Eventually, the Knicks recognized their futile attempt to close the gap and waved the white flag, falling to 31-16, and ending their win streak.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 44 minutes, 31 points, 10-23 FG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 TOs

Though he put up another gaudy stat line, Anthony’s offensive attack wasn’t as crisp or well executed as we’ve gotten used to seeing this season. There was a lot of isolatin’, penetratin’, and those one- or two- dribble pull-ups from midrange. He got (and sank) some clean looks from the outside, but forced a few, too. It was, however, nice to see him consistently pass out of double teams, and dropped passes and missed shots robbed him of a few assists. His defense – like the rest of the Knicks – left a lot to be desired.

P.S. – Credit to Nene for catching ‘Melo midair on a reckless drive to the hoop. Anthony was nearly turned upside down as his legs got caught on Nene’s arms, and as he went crashing to the ground, Nene braced his fall, and perhaps saved the Knicks’ season in the process.

Final Grade: B

Amar’e Stoudemire – 28 minutes, 19 points, 6-11 FG, 7-9 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks

Stoudemire provided an immediate boost off the bench in the first half, aggressively going after the Wizards in the post, working off the dribble for a bunch of tough finishes around the rim. His approach changed a bit as the game went on, switching to cutting into open space off the attention the defense gave Anthony, and cleaning up misses and broken plays around the basket. Oddly, Stoudemire may have played the best/most inspired defense on the team, switching aggressively onto pick-and-rolls and making attempts to close out on shooters, not to mention registering the Knicks’ only blocked shots of the game. Then again… there was that play where Stoudemire stood body lengths away from Wall and watched him look around, open, and decide to shoot after three or four seconds. It was that kind of night.

Final Grade: B-

Raymond Felton – 40 minutes, 17 points, 6-13 FG, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Felton once again began the game with a strong start, taking it to the basket, cleverly evading defenders for easy finishes, and swinging the ball to find the open man. As has been the case all season, however, his hot start didn’t carry over through the whole game. In the second half, Felton seemed invisible, doing little else other than bringing the ball up the court and getting burned by the blur that is John Wall (the latter is excusable, in my opinion). The assist tally is surprisingly low, though that can’t be pinned entirely on Felton as he did a decent enough job of contributing the ball, but teammates didn’t always can the looks he set them up with. It happens.

Final Grade: B

J.R. Smith – 35 points, 13 points, 6-14 FG, 0-4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

A considerably quieter outing from Smith than we’re used to seeing. The scoring production seems OK (although 13 points on 14 shots really isn’t very efficient), but Smith just never had a point in this game where he had much  of an affect. Though, besides for Felton, he had the best +/-  on the team with -2. After launching a combined 40 three-point attempts over the previous three games, Smith only attempted four and didn’t hit any of them. Knocking a couple of those down could’ve been hugely helpful in the second half.

Final Grade: C

Tyson Chandler – 36 minutes, 8 points, 3-6 FG, 13 rebounds

Chandler seemed oddly pouty in this game. He had a terrific steal on the perimeter to open the game, raced down court, and was never rewarded for his hustle. To me, things went downhill from there as he was perhaps a bit peeved by the lack of reward. His effort on the boards was nowhere near what he showed the last three games, though 13 boards is nothing to sneeze at. He was relatively ineffective in the pick-and-roll and didn’t do much to orchestrate the Knicks’ lackadaisical D.

Final Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert – 22 minutes, 5 points, 2-8 FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Shumpert’s return to the court has taken the reverse curve of Amar’e Stoudemire’s return cycle. Whereas Stoudemire started off slow and has gained momentum, Shumpert has slipped in recent outings. Woodson’s slotting of Shumpert at the 3 has been wildly ineffective – almost as ineffective as Shumpert’s shot and offensive production playing off the Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks’ pick-and-roll game. Likewise, Woodson (for reasons unbeknown to us) refuses to put Shumpert on the primary offensive backcourt weapon on opposing teams. Perhaps Iman is still adjusting to plying basketball for the first time in nine months, but he’s been sadly underwhelming lately.

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 8 minutes, 3 points, 1-3 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

No Pablo after the first half for some strange reason. He looked decent in the first half, and riding a recently-returned Raymond Felton for 5/6 of the game seems like a bad idea. To be fair, Prigioni had no shot at stopping Wall off the dribble, and he can’t guard bigger guards.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 18 minutes, 0 points, 0-4 FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Kidd’s three-point percentage by month this season: November – 48.9%; December – 41.9%; January – 32.7%; February – 20%. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that the Knicks have been starting poorly in first and third quarters – there’s where Kidd sees the bulk of his minutes.

Final Grade: D+

Steve Novak – 10 minutes, 0 points, 0-2 FG, 1 rebound

Novak hasn’t been making a good case for himself to make the Three Point Shootout at All-Star Weekend.

Final Grade: D

It’s hard not to overreact to this loss, and in some cases, it might be justified. The Knicks have the second toughest schedule in the NBA after the All-Star break. Dropping games like this, especially while riding a hot streak, can come back to hurt a team. No choice but to move on now. They play in Minnesota on Friday.

The offense was messy, supported largely by bail-out J.R. Smith buckets, which provided a third of the Knicks’ offense. With the Pacers denying most opportunities off the pick-and-roll and the Knicks misfiring from the perimeter, Smith spent a good chunk of the time, dribbling the ball all over creation, weaving his way through the defense to find the best looks possible. At times he hit some ridiculous fade-away jumpers (as he is wont to do), others driving the lane for pretty finishes, but with Indiana and the lanky Paul George draped all over him, Smith rarely found room to breathe and get off quality looks.

For the rest of the Knicks, baskets were few and far between. After a trigger-happy first quarter, Chris Copeland hardly saw the court; Tyson Chandler managed some nice finishes, but also blew some easy looks and was rejected on others; Amar’e Stoudemire more-or-less looked out of sorts on jumpers and moves to the basket; Steve Novak and Jason Kidd connected on only 4-14 attempts, pretty much all on the perimeter.

The defense, however, despite how grotesque the Pacers’ offense is anyway, kept the Knicks in the game. There was an over-abundance of switching and miscommunications (particularly with Stoudemire on the floor), but a general dedication to closing out on shooters and hitting the glass helped the Knicks’ cause. Fatigue was the Knicks’ main opponent tonight, though. After allowing only 58 points through three quarters, the Knicks surrendered 23 in the final 12 minutes. It was in the crucial moments of the game, when the Knicks desperately needed stops, that their legs fell flat, failing to run out on shooters, tardy on rotations to provide help at the basket when the perimeter defense was broken down.

An icky game all around, and the player report cards don’t figure to be all too prettier.

J.R. Smith – 40 minutes, 25 points, 10-29 FG, 3 rebounds, 6 assists

The Knicks had few other options but to give Smith the ball and just watch. And by the fourth quarter, Smith actually didn’t seem too pleased with the game plan. After a hot third quarter, in which Smith tallied 12 points, his legs looked flat in the fourth, bricking jumpers and losing the step he’d been using off the dribble to get into the paint and create havoc. His 34% shooting would normally be a critique, but what else could he do with one the NBA’s best perimeter defenders hounding him and virtually all other options cut off? Head-banded, and potentially handicapped by disrupted vision, Smith, donning a Tupac-esque resemblance did what he could to keep the Knicks alive. I salute the effort, Earl. At least we got this.

Final Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler – 38 minutes, 12 points, 5-10 FG, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks

The only other Knick in double figures, Chandler found pretty much all of his field goals off the seldom successful pick-and-roll tonight. When he wasn’t receiving good looks while rolling to the basket, he was disrupted by the length and crowding of the Pacers around the basket. He missed a few easy put-backs and was rejected pretty handily at the rim by Roy Hibbert on a dunk attempt. Chandler also looked exhausted by the fourth quarter, sitting in the paint watching as Ian Mahimi stepped out to the top of the key to hit open jumpers. Chandler’s presence on the boards, however, continues to be astounding as he is now averaging 13.5 rebounds per game over his last seven.

Final Grade: B

Amar’e Stoudemire – 21 minutes, 9 points, 4-11 FG, 8 rebounds, 1 block

I’ll continue to chalk it up to rust as long as Stoudemire still looks like the cheap imitation of his former self. True to his word, Woodson limited STAT’s minutes to 21:31, and it was a hodgepodge of good and bad for him. On offense, Stoudemire’s post-up attempts are still largely ill-fated, either pinning himself under the basket, along the baseline, missing baby hooks, or getting stuffed at the rim. His jumper looks semi-fluid, but hardly accurate (he hit one of six attempts outside the paint tonight). On defense, Stoudemire is still all out of sorts, either missing his man on, failing to switch or assuming switches that aren’t there, or worst of all: running with his back turned to the ball on a fastbreak. He did rebound the ball nicely, though.

Final Grade: C-

Jason Kidd – 31 minutes, 8 points, 3-10 FG, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 TOs

The days are becoming limited where Jason Kidd can start and operate as a team’s primary point guard. Against an aggressive defense like Indiana, Kidd could rarely turn the corner on pick-and-rolls to set up big men or even hit shooters on drive-and-kicks. His defense was serviceable, but his offense was flat. Maybe at this point Jason could donate some of his hand to Raymond Felton to get him back. Right now, no one needs Felton back as badly as Kidd, who at 39-years old, simply cannot keep up this pace.

Final Grade: C

Chris Copeland – 21 minutes, 8 points, 3-9 FG, 6 rebounds, 3 TOs

A number of ugly, awkward post-up and isolation attempts early in the first quarter kind of signaled what was in store for this game. Copeland actually acted as the Knicks’ go-to man to begin the game; a situation I hope we don’t find ourselves in again. After the first quarter, Cope saw his minutes dwindle significantly, and I’m not sure why, but I doubt it affected the game much anyway.

Final Grade: C

Marcus Camby – 19 minutes, 7 points, 3-9 FG, 5 rebounds, 1 block

Arguably the most productive minutes we’d seen from Camby were cut short when he limped to the locker room and was diagnosed with a “sore left foot”. Who knows when we’ll see Marcus again, and it’s a shame because despite low shooting numbers, he was doing nice things on both ends of the floor.

Final Grade: C+

Kurt Thomas – 16 minutes, 4 points, 2-5 FG, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks

In 2013, Kurt Thomas caught a pass at the top of the key, pump-faked, took two dribbles, and pulled up for a midrange jumper, and sank it. He also forced David West, a not-so-far-off All-Star power forward, into some ugly stretches where he turned the ball over, got called for offensive fouls, and missed easy baskets.

Final Grade: C+

Steve Novak – 24 minutes, 3 points, 1-4 FG, 5 rebounds

Wherefore art thou, Novakaine? Granted, the Pacers lock up the three-point line pretty well, but Novak’s once-automatic three-point splashes have almost become a rarity where I find myself once again surprised when he does can one from beyond the arc. Tonight he was more useful on the boards, but it’s becoming a more and more relevant question lately: If he isn’t hitting shots (and Woodson seems to refuse to run plays for him) why is Steve Novak on the floor?

Final Grade: C-

Dec 5, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) gets congratulations from his teammates as he scores the winning basket with 3.9 seconds left during the game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Knicks win 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Through much of the game, the Knicks and the Bobcats wrestled back and forth in a seesaw affair. However, with six minutes left to go, the Knicks found themselves down by eight, unable to stop a feisty Bobcats team led by the uber-quick Kemba Walker and his band of rascals. For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony had gone mysteriously cold; J.R. Smith was unable to throw a rock into the ocean; the defense looked ill-equipped to make enough stops to get back into the game.

But at that six-minute mark, like we’d seen in the win in San Antonio, the Knicks just flipped the switch. Their defense tightened, forcing the Bobcats east and west around the perimeter, unable to get a good look. The Knicks forced five turnovers in those final six minutes. On offense, with Anthony back in the locker room treating a lacerated finger, Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler ran the pick-and-roll to perfection, parting the Bobcats’ defense and getting to the rim to get easy baskets.

On the final play – after a timeout following a weird sequence where the Knicks forced a turnover and  J.R. Smith pulled the ball back on a two-on-one fastbreak with just seconds remaining – the Knicks inbounded the ball to Smith. Smith darted to his left towards the baseline, did his signature step-back jumper, faded away, and swooshed the 18-footer at the buzzer to win the game. Like that, the Knicks started the getaway cars, escaping Charlotte with a 13-4 record and sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Some individual report cards, starting with the man of the hour:

J.R. Smith – 31 minutes, 13 points, 6-16 FG, 1-9 3FG, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

Smith came into the game trying to forget a dreadful 1-11 shooting performance against the Phoenix Suns this past Sunday. If that game’s off-target marksmanship was triggered by a night out on the town the Saturday beforehand – as Smith has suggested he’s wont to do – then his game tonight looked like he was going out during commercial breaks. Though Smith shot the ball better than 9%, and his looks were generally clean – a variety of looks off the dribble and catch-and-shoots – nothing would fall for him.

To Smith’s credit, his defense rarely waned, and his perimeter defense in that fourth quarter was noticeably stellar. Likewise, his four assists show his willingness to move the ball an off night. A crucial, basket-saving block on an open, rolling Bismack Biyombo in the fourth, and of course, a game-winning, step-back, fade-away 18-footer… well, those help heal the earlier wounds.

Final Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler – 35 minutes, 18 points, 8-10 FG, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Though Chandler’s production slowed down after a stellar first quarter in which he nearly notched a double-double, he was nonetheless vital every minute he was on the floor. Though he didn’t have much success stopping the Bobcats’ speedy, slithery guards at the basket, he generally made mincemeat of the Bobcats’ big men, allowing just 12 combined points on 6-17 shooting from Brendan Haywood, Bismack Biyombo, and Byron Mullens. Though the Knicks were out-rebounded 50-36 (!), Chandler had half of those boards and it’s doubtful New York would have ever had a possession without Tyson’s dominance. On offense, too, Chandler was crucial late in the game, sucking in the Bobcats’ defense with hard rolls to the basket and some forceful finishes, including a few alley-oops and a nice little back-to-the-basket baby hook.

After a few scary weeks where Tyson just didn’t look like his court-roaming monstrous self, he seems to be a full health and energy once again, making a living in the paint on both ends of the floor. The Knicks absolutely do not win this game without a lovely 18-17 performance from Chandler.

Final Grade: A+

Carmelo Anthony – 38 minutes, 23 points, 8-22 FG, 3-7 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

Anthony began the game firing on all cylinders, connecting on his first three three-pointers and finding success shimmying off the dribble and finishing around the basket or otherwise drawing fouls. Facing the slower-moving, 7-foot (not seven-footed) Byron Mullens, one would have expected Anthony to begin the game in attack mode, and he responded. Though his typical rebounding prowess was absent (he just didn’t seem to be around the basket much), he made up for it with some truly beautiful dishing out of double teams. When the Bobcats sent an extra defender, Anthony did a wonderful job moving the ball on a variety of kick-outs, swing, and skip passes to find open teammates.

‘Twas a tale of two halves, though, for ‘Melo. In the second half, Anthony rimmed out his other four three-pointers, and in general was only 1-11, while failing to get to the free throw line at all. As we’ve seen, the right combination of these things – along with a surging opponent – tends to make ‘Melo a little grumpy, and there was a noticeable let-up in energy and effort from him after halftime. When he finally got untracked, defending with vigor in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, and after hitting a running bank shot, he got injured. ‘Melo chased down a loose ball and dove into the Knicks bench to save it. Much to chagrin of Clyde Frazier who insists Anthony is too important for such reckless play, ‘Melo left the game with a laceration on his finger, which required six stitches. His status is up in the air for tomorrow night’s game.

Despite a less-than-lovely second half and a somewhat unnecessary injury, that wonderful first half kept the Knicks in the game to begin with.

Final Grade: B+

Raymond Felton – 36 minutes, 17 points, 7-19 FG, 9 assists, 2 rebounds, 0 TOs

Playing in front of his family and a supportive crowd in his former stomping grounds, Felton took the floor with a flipper of a left-hand bundled in protective padding. Felton refused to miss a homecoming because of the bruised bone in his hand, so he took the floor, hoping to play through the pain. In the first half, the results were not good. Raymond looked tentative off the dribble and on defense, and though he shoots righty, the left hand is needed to guide the ball going up on a shot, and Felton just couldn’t bury many of his looks. Felton resorted to dishing to his teammates with some success, but in general the early returns were lacking.

So, what did he do? Felton came out in the second half with his injured left hand unwrapped and had himself a ballgame. To open the third quarter, Felton sank two three-pointers, dished to Chandler on an alley-oop, picked up a loose ball and fed Ronnie Brewer for a fastbreak layup. Felton was borderline heroic to close the game as well, harassing Kemba Walker (who’d been torching Felton all game) and denying him the ball on a critical inbounds play. On the other end, as mentioned, Felton mastered the pick-and-roll when it mattered most, assisting on a Novak three and Chandler dunk, scoring on a floater and driving layup. All the while, his adorable three-year old son slept, missing his dad’s prideful, inspiring play.

Final Grade: B+

Steve Novak – 26 minutes, 9 points, 3-8 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Novak continues a tear of games in which he’s shot (if I heard Mike Breen correctly) 17-31 from downtown, not including tonight’s performance. Novak missed a big, open corner three down the stretch, but had previously hit a big one off the elbow on the aforementioned kick-out from Felton. Tonight wasn’t one of those noticeable explosions from Steve, but each of those treys were important. Otherwise, he was pretty quiet, getting burned on a number of plays by the more fleet-footed Bobcats, and not taking a single attempt from inside the arc. Novak started the second half, continuing a trend of Woodson’s.

Side note: I love watching the Knicks swing the ball back and forth in a desperate attempt to get Novak open. This almost always results in him getting the ball, but not being open enough, passing it, and then getting it right back.

Final Grade: C

Ronnie Brewer – 18 minutes, 9 points, 3-8 FG, 2-5 3FG, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

Never has someone looked so precarious possessing the ball on offense as Ronnie Brewer. Wait, I just remembered Jared Jeffries. Besides Jared Jeffries, never has someone looked so precarious possessing the ball on offense as Ronnie Brewer. Yet for the fear that runs through me when Brewer tries to run a fastbreak, or when his elbow plunges out on his awkward shooting release, it’s been effective. 40% shooting from beyond the arc for Brewer (though five attempts is a bit too many). Five rebounds (second most on the team) and some handy defensive work and Brewer played himself a typical game. At times, Woodson’s penchant for playing Smith over Brewer – especially when Smith is off-target – can be maddening, but by some miracle it worked tonight.

Next time out, more smart, lovely cuts, less threes, Ronnie.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 25 minutes, 7 points, 2-3 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 0 TOs

Jason Kidd returned to action after missing some games due to back spasms, and didn’t miss a beat. The game just feels so safe in Kidd’s hands. He drilled two three-pointers (though he missed his biggest attempt late in the game) and generally kept the offense moving. On defense, Kidd gets his mittens on everything, and 3 blocks (!!!) has to be league-leading among guards. Like the comfort you feel relaxing at home, Kidd just brings a much safer, confident feeling to the game

Final Grade: B

Rasheed Wallace – 13 minutes, 2 points, 1-5 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Rasheed Wallace didn’t bark at any refs tonight, he didn’t get ejected, nor did he do much of anything, really. ‘Sheed saw limited action in the second half, but his first half play didn’t warrant it except to give Chandler a breather. Wallace’s refusal to roll to the basket after picks instead of popping out to the three-point line is aggravating. The one time he did roll to the basket, he got an open layup. Believe it or not, though, 3 rebounds ties him for third most on the Knicks tonight.

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 12 minutes, 2 points, 1-1 FG, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 0 TOs

Pablo hardly saw action in the second half, too, but he generally looked like his Pablo-y Priggly self in the first half. Some noticeably nice entry feeds and dishes on the pick-and-roll, and a lovely Clyde-like theft from Ramon Sessions off the dribble for Prigioni. On a second night of a back-to-back with Felton and Kidd both mending injuries, one has to expect he’ll see more minutes tomorrow night.

Final Grade: C

Final Grade for Reaction to Game-Winner : A+

Kurt Thomas – 5 minutes, 0 points, 0-0 FG, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Kurt Thomas started and then he sat. He threw a nice pass from the elbow to a cutting ‘Melo.

That’s it for tonight. A scrappy, exhilarating win made this a happier, kinder, sillier report card. The Knicks now sit alone in first place in the Eastern Conference, and will go to Miami to face the second place Heat tomorrow night.

Nov 13, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) dunks against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter at Amway Center. New York defeated Orlando 99-89. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Two trends still remain for the Knicks: they’ve beaten all of their opponents by double-digits and they are still the only undefeated team in the NBA. Most people would not have expected the lowly Magic to give the Knicks a run for their money to end both streaks, but credit must be given to Orlando for putting up a feisty effort against a somewhat lackadaisical Knicks squad who have played just two games over the last eight days.

Through the majority of the game the Knicks were flat. The Magic continually beat the Knicks on backdoor cuts, curls around the perimeter, and on the boards, getting themselves easy baskets against a slightly disinterested Knicks defense. On offense, the Knicks looked more stagnant than we’ve seen all season. The Magic’s defensive gameplan seemed to center on Raymond Felton by having guards go under screens against Felton and letting him shoot long twos and midrange jumpers. All 21 of Felton’s points were needed, but his 23 shots and only 5 assists was hardly efficient.

J.R. Smith, seemingly the savior once again tonight, checked in early off the bench in the first and third quarters and provided an immediate boost. Smith’s second half, in particular, was a potential game-changer. The Knicks began the second half slowly, when Woodson, quick on the trigger, pulled Brewer out of the game and inserted Smith after only two minutes. In the third quarter, Smith went 5-5 from the field for 12 points, while also grabbing 2 boards and dishing out an assist.He finished with 21 points on 9-14 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He continues to be tremendous off the bench.

The first half, despite only trailing by four at the end of it, was lowly for the Knicks. Perhaps as a result of the time off between games, they looked a step slow on their rotations and didn’t move the ball with the same continuity that had been seen in the first four games. Carmelo Anthony and Felton did the lion’s share of scoring in the first half. Anthony finished the game with 25 points on 11-22 shooting to go along with 8 rebounds. Much of his work on offense came from pull-up jumpers and crafty moves off the dribble as he was often double-teamed when he tried to post up. Though it was still a solid, efficient effort from Anthony, it lacked some of the pizzazz that we’d seen in previous games.

But it was defensively where the Knicks had most of their problems. Anthony was a culprit on some lackluster defensive possessions as he moseyed down the court, upset (rightly so) about some no-calls on offense. The half-effort was sort of indicative of the team as a whole on the defensive end. The Knicks were also out-rebounded 25-16 in the first half (42-31 for the game) and allowed 53 first-half points to an Orland team that was ranked last in the NBA on offense.

Luckily for the Knicks, their opponent tonight was just not fit to ever really run away with the game. Against a better team, the Knicks’ effort through the first three quarters would have put them in a deeper hole. Instead, going into the deciding fourth quarter, New York actually led by one point, 77-76.

The fourth quarter was a glimpse of the more dominant, rascally Knicks that have been on display thus far this season. New York’s defensive rotations were quick and decisive, never allowing Orlando good looks at the basket; their hands were active, often disturbing shooters and penetrators. Only 13 points for Orland, compared to the Knicks’ 22 in the fourth quarter. The Knicks found something of a groove in that final period, too, as Jason Kidd’s steady hands contributed to five points of his own and some buckets for Smith, while Felton assisted on a few baskets for Chandler, including a finally-well-timed alley-oop.

Despite their struggles and mostly questionable effort, the Knicks came away with a win and final results similar to what’s been seen all season. Two ugly wins in a row, yet the Knicks seem undaunted. Tonight, they entered the critical final quarter with an air of confidence that the lesser, more inexperienced Magic would not be able to handle them. And they were right: the Knicks came away with their fifth double-digit victory in a row.

Notes

- According to Frank Isola, Ronnie Brewer was held out for most of the second half because of some knee swelling. This might explain why he was so quickly yanked in favor of J.R. Smith.

- Rasheed Wallace continues to be the first big off the bench for the Knicks, which has been less-than-thrilling. ‘Sheed has been pretty good at posting up and finishing around the basket so far this season – the problem is he rarely does it. Tonight he was 2-7 from the field, 0-5 from three-point range. On defense, he has been burned by younger, quicker big men and has contributed little else during his playing time. Marcus Camby is still working his way back into shape, familiarizing himself with the playbook, but Kurt Thomas’s sudden disappearance from the rotation is odd.

- As some folks have pointed out on Twitter, it appears Steve Novak’s quicker release this season has messed with his accuracy. Tonight he was only 1-2, and over the last three games (tonight included), he’s just 2-8. Come back to us, Steve!

- Pablo Prigioni didn’t play in the second half…?

- As mentioned, Carmelo Anthony’ scoring methods tonight resembled his past play more than the well-behaved ‘Melo we’ve seen this season. It’ll be interesting to see if he begins to revert back to those ways, or if he keeps up his smarter shot selection, with more post-ups and passes out of double teams. If he does keep it up, can he/will he keep it up when his own shot isn’t falling or when the Knicks struggle like they did tonight.

Either way, the Knicks will need a better effort for the coming games. A huge back-to-back test comes this Thursday with a game in San Antonio, and a game Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Nov. 9, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots over Dallas Mavericks point guard Darren Collison (4) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

unsustainable; their winning ways, however, still remain.

At 4-0, the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA, the Knicks took down their fourth straight opponent by double-digits, beating the Dallas Mavericks 104-94. The Mavs came in playing some of the best basketball in the Western Conference, despite missing their superstar Dirk Nowitzki. Coming into the game, Dallas was 4-1, a testament to the undeniably excellent coaching of Rick Carlisle. However, his Mavericks, after a hot start, wilted down the stretch under an intense, scavenging New York defense.

It wasn’t always pretty for New York. In the first half, the two teams exchanged blows trading baskets and stops, and Dallas looked ready to pull away at any moment. But New York just kept scratching for life. A fade-away three-pointer by J.R. Smith at the end of the half kept the Knicks within two – a sign of their desperate clinging to the game. The third quarter was the difference-maker for New York. J.R. Smith once again swooped in with some timely buckets on jumpers and drives to push the Knicks ahead. The Knicks outscored the Mavericks 29-21 in that essential third quarter.

Smith was not alone, of course. Carmelo Anthony continued his torrid stretch at the power forward by dropping in a season high 31 points on 10-22 shooting. For the most part, it was not the team-conscious, well-behaved ‘Melo that we’ve seen thus far this season – some forced transition buckets, and headstrong determination to unsuccessfully take it to Dahntay Jones come to mind – but he was nonetheless effective. Against the likes of Jae Crowder, Brendan Wright, and Vince Carter, Anthony simply exerted his will, bullying his way to the basket or knocking down some midrange jumpers.

Tyson Chandler’s return to health was also a successful one, punctuated by a rim-rocking, and-1 put-back dunk over Jae Crowder following an Anthony miss. Chandler, seemingly fully healthy for the first time this season, dropped in 11 points and 9 rebounds.

However, it was not always sugar and sweets for the Knicks. The Mavericks, whose playing style is nearly machine-like in their own right, began the game hot from three-point land, led by O.J. Mayo who finished with 23 points on 5-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Had foul trouble not limited him, Mayo looked set to become the latest addition on a long list of Knick-killers. Chris Kaman and Vince Carter (rocking an American-flag themed headband recalling Easy Rider) combined for 29 points off the bench.

The Mavs hung around for awhile with the Knicks, but couldn’t pull it out in the end. The Knicks’ defense stifled the Mavs into only 16 fourth-quarter points, including a nearly four-minute scoring drought. The same defense which Mike Woodson has so often praised and relied upon, was the turning point for a Knicks team whose offense also faltered down the stretch with a few turnovers and sloppy, isolation ball.

The margin of victories still remains in double-digits, but tonight proved that every win won’t be easy, and they won’t always be pretty. The Knicks won in a grinding fashion, and their winning percentage still remains the best in the league.

Notes:

- A few folks have noted on Twitter that Raymond Felton doesn’t seem to be in game shape yet. That might explain his hot starts and lowly finished this season, as well as his horrid finishing around the basket – a sign of some jello-y legs. Felton was pretty bad tonight: 8 points on 3-11 shooting, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers.

- Marcus Camby made his season debut and was mostly quiet. It was still nice to see the old, lanky string bean out on the MSG floor again, though.

- Ronnie Brewer’s prowess from the corner three remains; he made 2-4 from beyond the arc tonight. Ronnie also has a nose for timely offensive boards, which has been a pleasant surprise. His explosion around the basket, however, is still reminiscent of wet gunpowder. A couple more botched layups for Brewer tonight.

- Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni only saw 15 and 10 minutes tonight, respectively. Odd, considering Felton’s struggles. It remains to be seen whether there was any health-related issues affecting their playing time.

- The Knicks won the turnover battle by a large margin – 9 to Dallas’s 20. However, the Knicks shot just 26-38 from the free throw line. Had this game been close, that would’ve been a killer.

The Knicks play the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.

Nov 4, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) celebrates with forward Carmelo Anthony (7) after a basket by Anthony against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-US PRESSWIRE

This time, the victim was the Philadelphia 76ers who arrived at Madison Square Garden for an early matinee game, and generally meandered around the court, looking unfit to keep up with New York’s pugnacious charge. The early start didn’t affect the Knicks (maybe a thanks to turning the clocks back an hour) as they came out firing on all cylinders just like they did against Miami on Friday night.

Carmelo Anthony led the charge with 27 points, but he was not without help. Early in the game, Raymond Felton slithered into the paint with ease, setting up perimeter looks to Jason Kidd, Ronnie Brewer, and Anthony, who swung the ball with ease and rapidity. The 76ers,  just a step too slow most of the afternoon, granted Knicks open outside looks or open inside looks as they scrambled to keep up with the Knicks.

The second quarter was the turning point, defensively. After forcing just one turnover in the first quarter, the Knicks harassed the Sixers into seven more in the second quarter. Again, the Sixers looked lethargic as Knicks scrambled around, deflecting passes and dribbles and forcing some bad shots. A six-point lead going into the quarter ballooned to a 13-point lead, capped off by a steal from Anthony and a long outlet pass from Kidd to Anthony who finished a layup with just over a second remaining in the half.

The Knicks, however, were not perfect in their execution. Though they largely out-played the 76ers, some flaws still existed in the game. The Knicks relied heavily on the three-ball again today, and though 40.7% shooting from beyond the arc is a great number, it will not hold up; 27 attempts from that range is also too many. Typical of a new team, there were a fair number of miscues on some outrageous alley-oop attempts and on some play-calling.

On defense, the Knicks were stingy, holding the Sixers to just 84 points on 43% shooting (to the Knicks’ 50% shooting). The exception was point guard Jrue Holiday who continually took it to whichever Knick tried to stop him. Holiday dropped in 27 points on 5-6 shooting from three-point land. The Knicks may have been cut a break when Jason Richardson sprained his ankle on the first Sixers’ possession by stepping on a cameraman’s foot. (Side note: I completely agree with every commentator out there – the cameramen need to be moved further back from the action to avoid injury to themselves and players).

The second half saw action very similar to the game against Miami. The Sixers came out energized, reeling off 11 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter. From there, though, despite numerous attempts from Philadelphia, the Knicks were able to hold them off, thanks in particular to some hot shooting from J.R. Smith who really found the range, scoring 13 of his 20 points in the second half. Smith, the main catalyst in the second half, also contributed 9 rebounds as a symbol of his on-court activity.

Things got a little sloppy for the Knicks at the end, as the Sixers hung around within nine to twelve points in the waning minutes. Some premature chants for Rasheed Wallace erupted before the game was sealed, and Mike Woodson oddly obliged. However, the moves and the doubts of some fans proved to be inconsequential as the Knicks cruised down the stretch to a 16-point win to move to 2-0.

Notes:

- Raymond Felton, after a hot start, was out-played by Jason Kidd through most of the game. Kidd was solid from beyond the arc (2-5),was the main contributor of the splendid ball-movement (6 assists), and played some crafty, old-man defense, swiping 3 steals and forcing the Sixers into some sloppy play with his hustle. After a poor preseason, Kidd is looking more and more valuable each day.

- Tyson Chandler, playing with flu-like symptoms, was pretty quiet in his 20 minutes. Due to Chandler’s condition, Kurt Thomas’s 18 hard-working minutes were appreciated.

- Perhaps the play of the game: Carmelo Anthony hustling back, to block Nick Young on a fastbreak layup attempt, then chasing down the ball, and diving into the third row of the stands in order to save it. Those types of plays will quickly win the fans over, and that type of hustle sets a precedent for the team. It’s early, but Anthony really looks like he gets it this year.

- Rasheed Wallace dropped a little baby hook in, grabbed two rebounds, made a foul shot, and dished to Pablo Prigioni on a lovely little give-and-go in his 3 minutes of playing time.

The Knicks travel to Philadelphia tomorrow to complete a home-and-home with the Sixers.

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