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Pacers coach Frank Vogel spent most of Thursday under heavy fire from critics for his decisions in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

But Vogel also doled out some criticism of his own on Thursday.

And he pointed it directly at Knicks coach Mike Woodson.

While praising the Miami Heat's offensive approach against Indiana center Roy Hibbert in Game 1 of the conference finals, Vogel took a shot at Woodson.

"They had a more intelligent plan against Roy Hibbert than New York did and we've got to adjust to it," Vogel told reporters with the Pacers in Miami. "It was effective [Wednesday night] and we've got to adjust to it."

It's unclear if Vogel meant it as a direct criticism of Woodson, but it's hard to misinterpret his words: he was ripping the Knicks' offensive scheme against Hibbert.

The Knicks allowed Hibbert to camp out in the paint on defense in their second-round series. In doing so, Hibbert made life difficult for the Knicks at the rim. He had 19 blocks in six games and was able to help the Pacers control the boards (Indiana outrebounded New York by 10.4 rebounds per game).

Woodson at times drew Hibbert from the paint by placing shooters such as Chris Copeland on the floor, but he did not use that strategy often.

The Heat, on the other hand, forced Hibbert to leave the paint at times in Game 1. That strategy helped Miami outscore Indiana, 60-48, in the paint and coral 16 offensive rebounds.

Miami was also able to dump the ball off to open front court players. Chris "Birdman" Andersen had 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting -- all from close range.

Vogel, in fact, decided to leave Hibbert on the bench on the Heat's final play because he feared Hibbert would not be able to leave the paint to defend a Chris Bosh jump shot.

That theory backfired as LeBron James drove past Paul George for an uncontested game-winning layup in overtime.

Many questioned why Hibbert wasn't on the floor to defend the rim.

"I would say we would probably have him in next time," Vogel told reporters after Game 1.

Vogel wasn't the only observer to critique Woodson's coaching performance against the Pacers.

Woodson also took criticism for failing to play Copeland until the final two games of the series. Woodson also went with a bigger starting lineup in Game 4 of the series; the move backfired, as the Knicks lost by 11 and were crushed on the boards.

"I really haven't heard the criticism because I don't read it that much," Woodson said on Monday. "I'm my own biggest critic."

That might be true. But on Thursday, that title belonged to Vogel.

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Iman Shumpert called the Knicks' season a failure earlier this week.

Head coach Mike Woodson disagrees.

He offered a very different definition of the Knicks' season on Tuesday.

"Based on where we started and how we assembled our team, this was to me a wonderful season," Woodson said. "It was a major step in the right direction, to win our division, to secure the second seed, when people didn't think we could do none of those things.

"Some of our goals were met, so all wasn't bad. I think we made a major step. I think we were able to win some of our fan base back and to me that’s what was more important."

The Knicks deserve credit for winning the division for the first time since 1994 and winning a playoff series for the first time since 2000. But they lost a second-round series to Indiana despite having home-court advantage.

Woodson was criticized during and after the series for his decision to go with a big starting lineup for Game 4, a move that backfired. He was also second-guessed for failing to play Chris Copeland for much of the postseason, among other things.

"I really haven't heard the criticism because I don't read it that much. I'm my own biggest critic," Woodson said.

He then defended his team's performance.

"This was a great season for our team. I don't care how you slice it and dice it," he said. "When we put this team together, this is the first time we assembled the team. I thought we made a major step. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely, across the board there is. This was a positive season for our ballclub; regardless of what anybody says, it was a positive season."

QUESTION: What do you think? Do you view this as a "wonderful" season based on the Knicks' regular-season accomplishments and first-round playoff win? Or has the loss to the Pacers left a bitter taste in your mouth? How would you define the season?

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

The New York Knicks face an offseason full of questions after bowing out in the second round of the playoffs.

Here's a look at five pressing issues they will need to deal with:

J.R. Smith's free agency: J.R. Smith said that he wants to retire as a Knick. To do so, he'll probably have to take a pay cut.

Smith has a $2.9 million player option for next season and is expected to opt out and test free agency. The Knicks likely will make it a priority to re-sign Smith, who won the NBA's Sixth Man Award but struggled in the postseason.

New York has Smith's Early Bird Rights and can offer him a four-year contract starting at approximately $5 million with standard raises.

But they may have competition for Smith's services. Another team with significant cap space can offer Smith more than $5 million. But how does Smith's poor postseason affect his market value? We'll find out soon enough.

Define Amar'e's role: It's clear that Amar'e Stoudemire is best suited coming off the bench for the Knicks. But it's unclear if that's what he'll do in 2013-14. Don't forget, Knicks coach Mike Woodson planned to start Stoudemire at the beginning of the 2012-13 season before he went down with a knee injury.

So will Woodson want Stoudemire to return to the starting lineup next season? Or will he continue to bring him off the bench?

No matter what he chooses, Woodson would be wise to be delicate with Stoudemire, who is owed $45 million over the next two seasons.

Stoudemire said after the Knicks' season-ending loss on Saturday that he wanted to sit down with Woodson to discuss what he brings "to the table." Woodson would be wise to take the lead in that conversation and define exactly what he needs from Stoudemire in 2013-14.

Go big or small? The Knicks succeeded in the regular season with a small-ball lineup that relied heavily on 3-point shooting. But we saw the flaws of that model in the postseason, when just two Knicks regulars hit more than 33 percent of their 3-point attempts.

Woodson showed in Game 4 against the Pacers that he has no problem playing big. He went with a tradition front line in the Knicks' loss to Indy.

Despite the ugly result, there is a possibility Woodson will switch gears and try to go with a big lineup next season.

After all, injuries forced him to play with a smaller lineup in 2012-13. His intention coming into the season was to start Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler on the same front line.

No matter what Woodson chooses for next season, it would behoove both himself and the Knicks if he did so sooner rather than later. This would force the front office to tailor its offseason plans around Woodson's chosen style.

The point guard situation: Jason Kidd is under contract for the next two seasons, but he has said that he may not come back for 2013-14. He said earlier this season that he will decide over the summer about his status for next season. Most Knicks fans who watched Kidd struggle in the playoffs would probably like to see him retire. But Kidd is unlikely to leave guaranteed money on the table. He is owed $6.1 million over the next two seasons. Maybe he agrees to a buyout?

Regardless of whether Kidd or Pablo Prigioni return next season, the Knicks need to upgrade at point guard. They will likely look to add a young guard through the draft or free agency (they will have the veteran's minimum or the mini-mid-level exception to offer free agents) or via a trade. Ideally, they'd find a guard who can excel on both ends of the floor. Outside of Iman Shumpert and Smith (when he's engaged), the Knicks don't have many two-way players.

Find a young power forward/center: The Knicks thought they had a great backup to Tyson Chandler when they traded for Marcus Camby last summer. But due to injuries, Camby was limited to just 24 games.

So the Knicks need a player on the interior to help Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin (if he re-signs) rebound and protect the rim.

With Carmelo Anthony starting at power forward and Stoudemire presumably behind him, the Knicks lack a solid defender at this position.

They may choose to re-sign Earl Barron to help fill the void. Or maybe they can find a young big via free-agency or the draft?

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Amar'e Stoudemire said it was "tough" to sit on the bench in the second half of the Knicks' season-ending loss to the Pacers.

"It's never easy to sit there and watch. But again, it's Coach's decision," Stoudemire said after playing 5:47 -- all in the first half -- and scoring two points in Game 6 on Saturday night.

Stoudemire played an average of 8.3 minutes per game in three games against the Pacers. He had missed the previous two months following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

"It's been a battle of conquering injuries," said Stoudemire, who also missed the first two months of the season following surgery on his left knee. "That's been pretty much the season for me."

Coach Mike Woodson originally wanted to start Stoudemire alongside Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony on the Knicks' front line.

But due to injury, Woodson chose to bring Stoudemire off the bench. Things worked well for the Knicks, who went 38-15 in the regular season when Stoudemire was out.

It will be interesting to see what Woodson does with Stoudemire next season. Does he insert him into the starting lineup?

Stoudemire lamented the fact that he "never got the chance" to start alongside Chandler and Anthony this season.

He said he plans to talk with Woodson and the coaching staff in the offseason about his role.

"I think just the opportunity of allowing them to understand exactly what my style of play is and what I bring to the table is something that I think I'm going to have to sit down with Coach Woody and express to him," Stoudemire said.

TINY TYSON: Tyson Chandler was thoroughly outplayed by Roy Hibbert in Game 6. Chandler finished with two points and six rebounds in 23 minutes. He fouled out with 3:12 to play.

Hibbert had 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.

For the series, Chandler averaged 6.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 29 minutes per game.

Hibbert averaged 13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks.

Said Chandler: "They go to him a lot. We tried to limit his looks. He had the two games, both here, that he was able to get good looks and putbacks. He did a good job for his team."

Raymond Felton also struggled Saturday. He went 0-for-7 with two points and two turnovers in 32 minutes.

CURIOUS CALLS BY WOODSON: Woodson will be second-guessed for failing to play Chris Copeland more in the postseason. Copeland had two huge 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The first gave the Knicks an 84-83 lead; the second put them up 87-84 with 10:10 to play.

He also had 13 points in 19 minutes in the Knicks' Game 5 win.

In addition, Woodson will be second-guessed for his decision to go with a big starting lineup in the Knicks' Game 5 loss and for taking Iman Shumpert out with 9:41 to play in the fourth quarter of Game 6. Shumpert scored 16 points -- hitting 4 of 4 3s -- in the third quarter.

Shumpert, though, wasn't about to second-guess his coach.

"We just wanted to win," he said. "It wasn’t enough."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Guard J.R. Smith is set to become a free agent this offseason but said he hopes to return to the New York Knicks.

"I want to retire a Knick," Smith said when asked about his future following the team's season-ending loss to the Pacers on Saturday night. "I don't want to go anywhere else. I love it. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. I was sitting in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game just knowing I don't want to be anywhere else except for in the orange and blue. So we'll see."

Smith has a $2.9 million player option for next year and is expected to opt out and test free agency. The Knicks likely will make it a priority to re-sign Smith, who won the NBA's Sixth Man Award but struggled in the postseason.

For the full news story, click here.

K-MART WANTS TO BE BACK: Mike Woodson and others said Kenyon Martin changed the Knicks season when they signed him in late February. Will he be around to contribute next season?

Martin, who will be a free-agent this summer, certainly hopes so.

"I have no idea. Would I love to be here? Yeah," Martin said, adding, "It’s not my call. I would love to contribute from this day forward, but we’ll see."

PRIGIONI NOT READY TO TALK FUTURE: Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland will also be free-agents this summer. Prigioni's agent has said the 35-year-old guard would like to return to the Knicks. Prigioni said he was not ready to discuss his future after the game.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Mike Woodson is confident heading into Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

"I'm expecting to win tonight," he said after Thursday morning's shootaround. "If we lose, we go home, and I'm not ready to go home yet."

The Pacers lead the Knicks 3-1 in this Eastern Conference semifinals series.

Chris Copeland spoke for the players, saying the guys are ready to leave it all on the line.

"We have a lot of pride. I think you'll see that tonight," he said. "We're going to come out, we're going to give it everything we've got and hopefully we come out with a win."

Woodson said the team has watched plenty of tape of the two previous losses and feel they're getting "good looks" at the basket. Now, they've just got to make the shots.

"Every game has been close, but they've been able to get the spurt that they need based on making shots," he said of the Pacers. "We've struggled in that area to make shots. Now, you've got to give them credit from a defensive standpoint. But I've got to think, sooner or later, we're going to start making some damn shots."

COPE-ACABANA: Woodson is planning to play Copeland more in Game 5 for his instant offense. The Knicks have averaged 76.5 points in the past two games, both losses.

"Chris Copeland will play early tonight. We still stick him in there," he said. "He was in that second unit when we anchored the second game, and we're going to go back to some of that."

"I think I can help us in a lot of ways," Copeland said. "I also have to help us on the defensive end, so getting out there, I just want to do whatever it takes."

Woodson said even with Copeland's increased minutes, Amar'e Stoudemire will play tonight.

K-MART 'FINE': Coming out of Game 4, Kenyon Martin had a sore right wrist. But Woodson said the backup center is not dealing with any ill effects from the injury.

"He's going to play. He said he's fine," the coach said. "Kenyon is one of those guys, you're not going to be able to sit him down no matter what, because this game is important for us to continue the series."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

INDIANAPOLIS -- In an attempt to neutralize the Pacers' size advantage, Mike Woodson went with a bigger starting five for Game 4.

He inserted Kenyon Martin into the starting lineup and took out Pablo Prigioni.

The bigger front line didn't produce the desired results.

The Knicks were outrebounded 54-36. Indiana had 16 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points. The Pacers outscored the Knicks 36-26 in the paint.

"Rebounding-wise we got hammered on the boards again," Woodson said after the Knicks' Game 4 loss. "I thought that’s what hurt us where we would make a slight run. They’d get a second-chance opportunity and they capitalized on it."

Martin finished with five rebounds in 28 minutes, none on the offensive end.

The Knicks' wings, J.R. Smith in particular, failed to box out Indiana forward Paul George, who finished with 14 rebounds. Guard Lance Stephenson had seven rebounds and George Hill had three.

"We need to do a better job as a unit," Martin said. "It can't be just one or two guys."

WHERE'S PABLO? Woodson not only kicked Prigioni out of the starting lineup but also removed him from the game plan.

Prigioni played just 3:26 on Tuesday.

Woodson went with Jason Kidd to back up Raymond Felton.

Kidd finished 0-for-2 in 16 minutes and missed a fast-break layup. He is scoreless in the past eight games and has missed his previous 14 shots.

Asked about Prigioni's playing time, Woodson said, "I'm not going to sit and explain it. Right now at this point, I'm reaching, trying to find combinations that will work."

Woodson has also gone away from Chris Copeland in the playoffs. Copeland hit two 3s in 12 minutes on the floor (all in the second half).

Woodson pulled Copeland, though, less than 30 seconds after he hit his first 3.

SHUMP SAYS KNEE WAS "FINE": After playing 16 minutes in Game 4 on a left knee that was less than 100 percent healthy, Iman Shumpert said he was "fine" and his limited playing time had nothing to do with his knee injury.

Knicks doctors examined Shumpert's knee before the game because he felt stiffness and soreness in the knee after falling twice in Game 3. Any pain in Shumpert's right knee is a cause for concern because he tore his right ACL in the playoffs last season and underwent season-ending surgery to repair the injury.

"It's fine," he said. "I have no complaints."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

After both losses to the Pacers, the Knicks pointed to the core of the problems: getting beat on the offensive boards.

After Game 1, Mike Woodson said, "The second-chance buckets hurt us because we were out of position a lot of time."

After Game 3, Carmelo Anthony commented, "To give up 18 offensive rebounds, that's the game right there."

Woodson has stuck to his small-ball approach. But heading into Game 4, he needs to be prepared to play Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler more minutes together. The Pacers' size has been a major difference so far. In Games 1 and 3 combined, they had 13 more offensive rebounds and 20 more second-chance points.

Anthony, Martin and Chandler haven't allowed any offensive rebounds in the five minutes they've played together in the series. Defensively, Martin is an important addition because of his agility to rotate off of pick-and-rolls and still protect the rim with his toughness and rebounding. While Chandler is guarding Roy Hibbert, Martin can also provide strong weak-side defense, which would help ward off David West or Tyler Hansbrough inside.

Anthony can't constantly bang down low because it expends some energy he needs for the offensive end.

The bigger question is: How will the big three -- sometimes including Amar'e Stoudemire -- boost the Knicks' offense, which only scored 71 points in Game 3?

"I think generating offense would be an issue," a veteran NBA scout said. "But if they had a traditional 2-guard that could run off screens and play within a structured system, that front line could work. It would help if Martin was a scoring threat."

The Knicks have a traditional 2-guard in J.R. Smith, but he's been nonexistent against the Pacers. Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert also need to double their penetration into the paint to generate more scoring and kickouts. That's where Martin and Chandler come in, so they can facilitate more double screens to free up the guards. Sometimes, Chandler can't do that himself because the Pacers are unique defensively for their length and athleticism.

If Felton, Smith and Shumpert can work off of different screens well, it will boost quick-release opportunities for Anthony and feeds inside for Martin and Chandler. They key is the Knicks' guards court awareness off the dribble. Before facing Hibbert, West and Hansbrough at the rim, they need to read the open man. The Knicks' ball movement has dried up.

Martin and Chandler also need to continue to look for their shot, as the scout mentioned. In Game 2, Martin hit a jump shot and blew by Hibbert for a layup, and in Game 3, Chandler swished a jumper facing up Hibbert.

In addition, Anthony needs to run more pick-and-rolls with the Knicks' bigs. Melo is scoring the most points per pick-and-roll (1.4) in the postseason, but he's only run the play 25 times. With the Pacers challenging him in single coverage, he needs more room to operate.

When Anthony runs the pick-and-roll from the wing, he puts more pressure on the Pacers' perimeter defenders to scramble, therefore creating more 3-point looks. If Melo penetrates, Chandler catches the ball on a roll, or Martin or Stoudemire receive a pass slashing down the baseline, the Pacers will be forced to collapse.

Woodson has heard the, "Will you consider matching up with the Pacers' size?" question since the start of the series, and for good measure. Now, with the Knicks down 2-1, it could be time to activate the bigger lineups more often.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Carmelo Anthony is shooting 31.8 percent from the field and only 2-for-22 from 3-point range in the past four games.

There are questions about the health of Melo's left shoulder -- he wore padding on that area in Game 1. But there are more concerns about him hurting the team's offense with his heavy isolation play in the postseason.

Mike Woodson, however, made it clear on Tuesday that Anthony shouldn't be the target of criticism. He said "a lot of guys came in [New York] and couldn't cut it," but Melo has, and he helped the team reach this point in the playoffs.

"He shouldn't get criticized," Woodson said in the hours leading up to Game 2 against Indiana. "Melo's had a hell of a season, man, and he's struggling a little bit, but we're right in the thick of things. ... Even as bad as we played [in Game 1], we had our chances coming down the stretch. Now our backs are against the wall, and we've got to see what we're made of."

Entering Game 2, Woodson talked to his guys about being patient, not feeling panicked.

"I'm not overreacting and I'm telling my guys not to overreact," he said. "You've got to win four games to get out of this series. We've only played one, so there shouldn't be no panic mode on anybody's faces around here."

But the Knicks need to make adjustments. Having played the Celtics and now the Pacers, two top defensive teams that rotate well, their offense has seen a flicker of change. Penetration and 3-point looks haven't been as easy to come by, and the team has leaned on Anthony and J.R. Smith late in the shot clock for points. That's why the Knicks know their defense needs to be more of a catalyst, so they don't have to rely constantly on half-court scoring.

"If we can play the defense that we have during the year when we're playing at our best, I think that's what makes our offense go -- when we can get out and run," Steve Novak said.

"I think it's about defense more than anything," Kenyon Martin added. "We've got to be more aggressive from the beginning of the game."

A DOSE OF NOVAKAINE? Novak said he's planning to play on Tuesday night after missing two games with back spasms.

"I think so -- if we can get it loose and warmed up," he said. "It's definitely not 100 percent right now."

Novak said his back "locked up" when he shot-faked during halftime warmups of Game 5.

STAT UPDATE: Woodson said Amar'e Stoudemire went through some team drills Tuesday, but he didn't scrimmage as it was a recovery day. The plan this week is for Stoudemire to go through another 3-on-3 scrimmage Wednesday, rest Thursday and play 5-on-5 on Friday. The team will then make a decision on Saturday about his Game 3 availability.

Woodson shared his thoughts on the power forward's recovery from a knee injury.

"As expected, winded and not in great shape," he said. "The fact that he's taken some body blows now a little bit and being able to cut and move, and then run up and down the court, that's a step. ... We've just got to still take it a day at a time and see where we are with him."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

It wasn't the rebounding or the poor shooting. It wasn't the points in the paint, and it wasn't the foul trouble.

No, the New York Knicks' Game 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers boiled down to something that had nothing to do with statistics or matchups.

"You chuck out the X’s and O’s, they just flat-out played harder than we did," Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said. "They outplayed us, outworked us. Nothing else needs to be said."

That's a pretty damning indictment of a veteran team playing in the postseason's second round for the first time in 13 years.

"It's the playoffs," J.R. Smith said. "You can't be outplayed or outhustled."

But that's exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon. The Pacers outrebounded the Knicks by 14, outscored them on second-chance points, 20-10, and had 14 more points in the paint.

"At this level you have to be ready," Jason Kidd said, "and we just weren’t."

They also weren't helped much by their leading scorer.

Anthony struggled with his shot all afternoon against the physical Pacers' defense. He finished the game 10-for-28 with a game-high 27 points and had just 10 points at halftime.

His shot has been off for the Knicks' past four games. He is just 35-for-110 in that span.

Against the Pacers, Anthony was matched up against David West, one of the top true power forwards in the Eastern Conference. Anthony is 15 pounds lighter than West and one inch shorter. The physical toll of guarding him seemed to wear on Anthony, playing through an injured left shoulder. Anthony did not use that as an excuse after the game.

"They beat us on the glass, the hustle plays and they outworked us," Anthony said. "It had nothing to do with them being more physical."

But the physical play left Anthony in foul trouble early on. He picked up his fourth with 7:48 to play in the third quarter and had to head to the bench.

The Pacers outscored the Knicks by 10 the rest of the quarter, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth.

"The foul trouble put a dent in the game plan today," Anthony said.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson, though, said Anthony's foul trouble "wasn't the difference" in the game.

The difference was much simpler -- and more alarming -- than that.

"I thought they played harder than our team tonight," the coach said. "That was the difference."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Before Game 1 on Sunday, ex-Knicks president Donnie Walsh said he was hoping a playoff series between his former team and current team, the Pacers, "didn't happen."

Walsh knows the Knicks' potential.

"When I looked at it, it was probably best for us to be away from Miami," he said. "But I thought any way you go, you're going to run into a tough team, and New York, to me, was the tough team to run into."

Not only that, Walsh thinks the Knicks can go all the way this season, saying, "They have enough right now to win a championship."

Walsh has been impressed with the Knicks' defense, how well Mike Woodson has adopted Mike D'Antoni's spread-out offense, Raymond Felton's emergence and Carmelo Anthony's growth as a superstar. Walsh said Melo is "one of, if not the best player in the game."

Walsh added that the only thing Anthony needed to do this season was improve his conditioning, and he's done that.

"That was it," Walsh said. "I thought he needed to get in great shape if he wants to be in the same breath with LeBron [James], [Kevin] Durant and those guys, and he's done it. And he knows it and I think he would tell you that. When I walked in here the last time, I didn't realize how slim he was. He really surprised me, so he's done a great job."

Here are a few other interesting nuggets from Walsh:

Knicks' defense: "I watched clips on the Knicks and they're playing great defense, and it's very aggressive. ... I love some of the stuff New York's doing on defense. I shouldn't be surprised. Woody spent a lot of time with Bobby Knight and Larry Brown, and they're both great defensive coaches. So I see a little bit of both of them in what they're doing."

Knicks' offense: "I do see a lot of Mike in that they're still shooting a lot of 3s, so [Woodson] saw the value of all the analytics on that, and I think he's spread the floor, so it leaves a lot of room. They've got guys who can take you off the dribble and they're got a lot of guys who know how to play basketball."

Felton's emergence: "I'm happy for Raymond, and it broke my heart when we had to trade him in that [Anthony] trade because I think he loved playing here, he was good the year he played. ... It was a bad break for him I thought. But when I read that he's coming back here, I was extremely happy and I told him. I saw him down in Indy. ... Raymond's an unheralded very, very good player, and will be there when you need him. That's what he is. That's what I saw."

Amar'e Stoudemire's potential return: "I think he'll make a big impact. Right before he left, I was watching him and it looked like he was playing great with Carmelo. Carmelo would be over there, and the next thing you know, Amar'e would cut and Carmelo would give him the ball and he'd dunk. I think he'll be fine."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- If he had a chance to do it all over again, New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton said he probably wouldn't have worn "funeral black" to Game 5 against the Boston Celtics.

Felton told ESPN New York 98.7 FM on Thursday that he initially was not aware that the Knicks' black clothing signified a funeral. At first, he said, he thought the idea was meant as a team bonding exercise.

"If I would have known that it was all of that, I would have said let's not do that, let's just come like normal and let's just play basketball," Felton said in an interview Thursday evening on the "The Michael Kay Show." "We shouldn't have done it, it's over with. Now it's time to go play basketball."

The Knicks drew criticism from their coach and others for wearing black to Game 5 on Wednesday in an attempt to mimic a funeral.

The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, but forced a Game 6 with a 92-86 win at Madison Square Garden.

So, as J.R. Smith put it after the game, "We were going to a funeral, but it looks like we got buried."

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said he was not aware of the players' dress choice until Thursday morning. He addressed it with the team on Thursday and said he was "a little upset" with their decision.

"I've addressed that with our players, and that's enough," the coach said. "The game is played on the floor, and that's where it should be played."

Center Tyson Chandler said the idea of a team wearing black to a potential close out game is nothing new. Chandler said he and the other Dallas Mavericks players wore black on several occasions during their run to the 2011 NBA title.

"It’s nothing against the Celtics," he said. "It’s something we were doing as a team. It wasn’t meant to offend anybody or anything like that. It was meant to motivate guys in the locker room."

The Knicks are hoping to avoid making the wrong kind of history: they'd be the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff series after taking a 3-0 lead. They play Boston in Game 6 on Friday night.

The Knicks, by the way, have not won a playoff series since 2000.

COPELAND IN GAME 6? Woodson said on ESPN New York 98.7 FM that he may turn to Chris Copeland in Game 6 if Steve Novak can't play.

Novak is doubtful due to back spasms.

Copeland hasn't played in the past two games. He is scoreless in 24 minutes in the series. Copeland has been dealing with a shoulder injury but said last Sunday that he is well enough to take the floor.

"Copeland could become a player in this series based on Novak not playing," Woodson said on "The Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show" on ESPN New York 98.7 FM.

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson said he was "upset" that his team wore all black on Wednesday before Game 5 of the Knicks-Celtics series to mimic a funeral for Boston.

"I'm a little upset about that, and I've addressed that," Woodson said after practice on Thursday. "... Things like that have just got to be, just kept outside the game and just concentrate on playing basketball."

The Celtics trailed in the series 3-1, heading into Game 5 and forced a Game 6 with a 92-86 win at Madison Square Garden.

Kenyon Martin reportedly told his teammates after their Game 4 loss in Boston to wear black to Game 5, "funeral black," he said, in anticipation of the Knicks eliminating the Celtics.

Woodson said he did not know about the team's plan before the game. The coach said he learned about it Thursday morning and expressed his disappointment.
He said he "absolutely" would have prohibited the Knicks from wearing black if he had known about the idea.

"I made reference to our guys, you need to stay out of the papers and just concentrate on playing. That's not important. What you're wearing doesn't have anything to do with how you play on the basketball floor," Woodson said.

He added: "I've addressed that with our players, and that's enough. The game is played on the floor, and that's where it should be played."

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Mike Woodson and the Knicks don't want to go back to Boston.

Both the coach and his players are urgent to close out their first-round series with the Celtics in Game 5 at home on Wednesday.

"It's big-time urgency on our part. We played the regular season for this," Woodson said after Tuesday's practice. "It should be a nice, loud gym in our favor and I'm expecting our guys to step up and play."

The Knicks had an opportunity to close out the series on Sunday, but lost in overtime to the Celtics.

They did not have J.R. Smith in Game 4 due to a suspension. Smith will be back in Game 5. And the Knicks will be back at the Garden, where they went 31-10 in the regular season, the best record in the Eastern Conference.

They are 2-0 at home in the playoffs. New York beat the Celtics by an average of 11.5 points in the first two games at the Garden and held them to 48 second-half points in two games.

"I feel good about playing in front of our fans and these guys do, too," Woodson said. "It's going to be a loud arena tomorrow night and I'm hoping we can get everything finished off so we can get ready for Round 2."

WHAT'S NEXT FOR STAT? The Knicks and a source close to Amar'e Stoudemire believe the power forward will return to action in the second round, if the Knicks beat Boston. He's recovering from right knee debridement done in early March.

Stoudemire was present at Tuesday's practice, going through some drills with his teammates. Afterward, he worked on his post-ups with assistant coach LaSalle Thompson, who guarded him and applied physical contact. Stoudemire's moves were aggressive and somewhat quick, and after shooting free throws, he ran up and down full court a few times.

While Stoudemire looked fluid on the court, he'll have to adjust to 5-on-5 scrimmages, while getting his wind up. His conditioning is still not there yet.

ANOTHER RAY DAY? Yes, Smith and his 18.1 points per game are returning for Game 5, but Raymond Felton can't take his foot off the gas. His series averages of 17.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals have given the Knicks a different, effective dimension beyond Smith's and Anthony's scoring.

"He has been huge," Kenyon Martin said Tuesday. "He is keeping Avery Bradley and [Jason] Terry and those guys honest so they can't load up on Melo or J.R. I think [Felton's] aggression will open up the floor that much more."

How huge has Felton been? When he has been on the bench during the series, the Knicks have a negative-22.1 plus-minus, but a plus-13.6 when he's playing. Anthony said he hasn't been surprised by Felton's progression. He credited the point guard's play on Sunday for helping the team force overtime.

"He spearheaded that whole comeback in Game 4, making shots, putting the pressure on them," Melo said. "In the second half, we only had two, three [turnovers], and we got back to playing the way we know how to play. ... He's been our guy. He's been making great decisions for himself and everybody else. He's stepped up this playoffs."

COPE-ING WITHOUT: Some of the Knicks were surprised that Chris Copeland didn't play Sunday, despite Smith's absence.

"I just decided to go with [Steve] Novak, and it's tough right now to play him and Novak together," Copeland said. "If I find a spot in between somewhere where I can throw Chris in there, I'll do that. The fact we're up 3-1 right now, I like our position and where we are, and he might have to sit and wait. I don't know."

In NBA history, teams that went up 2-0 in a playoff series had a .940 winning percentage (233-15). Since the league went to a seven-game first-round format in 2003, only eight times (out of 89) a team came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the series.

Heading into Boston for Game 3, Mike Woodson is very confident with his veteran bunch.

"This is the best team I've coached as a head coach from a road standpoint," he said on Wednesday. "That just says a lot for the guys in the locker room. ... It's not easy winning on the road. You've got to do everything perfect to win on the road, and if we're able to do that and keep it close and put ourselves in position, we'll have a legitimate shot."

In the Knicks' favor is that they won both times at the TD Garden this season. Overall, they're 9-2 all-time in best-of-seven series when leading 2-0. Also, it's been 44 years since the Celtics came back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.

Woodson and the team is expecting a very adverse playoff atmosphere on Friday night. The Celtics' loyal fan base could be even louder stemming from the emotions of the Boston bombings last week. Woodson said he'll discuss staying composed with his team.

"That's going to be a main focal point as we go in for Game 3," he said. "They're playing in front of their wonderful fans. We've got to go in and understand that, and just concentrate on basketball and playing a solid 48-minute ball game. It can't be nothing less than that. We can't get caught up in all the hoopla."

Woodson is also not getting caught up in the officiating, which Doc Rivers wasn't appreciative of after the Celtics' Game 2 loss, saying "I thought the fouls on Kevin [Garnett] were horrendous and had a huge effect on us."

Woodson responded on Wednesday, saying, "I'm not even going to go there. ... It's what it is. They let us play through it last night and you can always say that the fouls can go either way, but, hey, I try to let the officials do their thing, and I've got to worry about coaching."

Garnett picked up his fourth foul towards the start of the third quarter, forcing him to sit. That's when the Knicks went on a big run, attacking the basket better without the presence of the Celtics center.

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