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Tempers flared at the end of Game 5.

Television cameras showed Boston's Jordan Crawford yell at Carmelo Anthony as the Knicks and Celtics filed off the floor. Raymond Felton took umbrage and approached Crawford and his teammate, D.J. White. Felton had to be restrained by his teammates.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers rushed his players off of the floor. No punches were thrown.

"Just some words," Felton said. "That's the game of basketball; it happens. You get in the playoffs, it gets intense sometimes. Just words, nothing serious."

Anthony downplayed Crawford's actions. He even took a dig at the Celtics reserve.

"I'm not thinking about no Jordan Crawford, not at this point in time, I'll tell you that," Anthony said. "I don't even think he deserves for you to be typing [his name] right now."

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: While Anthony and J.R. Smith struggled offensively -- in fact, Smith started 0-for-10 from the field -- Felton continued his efficient scoring in the series.

For the second straight game, the point guard finished with more than 20 points. He had 21 points (on 10-for-19 shooting), six rebounds, four assists in Game 5.

"I thought Raymond was sold in terms of mixing it up," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.

CHANDLER'S CONDITIONING: For the fifth game in a row, Tyson Chandler's minutes increased. He played 34 on Wednesday night, finishing with eight points and 11 rebounds for the second game in a row. He also had three steals.

"I felt great," he said. "This game is probably the best I've felt. I felt lively, my legs felt good."

Chandler, however, got outplayed by Kevin Garnett, who had 16 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. His low-post scoring forced Chandler into three fouls in the second quarter, prompting Mike Woodson to call on Marcus Camby for the first time in the series. The third-string center played one minute, scoring an offensive putback and grabbing a rebound.

NOVAKAINE SHOT: Steve Novak played only three minutes in Game 5 due to back spasms. He was pulled out early in the second quarter and never returned to the game. Neither Novak nor Woodson commented on the situation afterward.

CELTICS' RESPONSE TO KNICKS' "FUNERAL LOOK": Gang Green knew about the Knicks' pregame black look, as if they were going to attend the Celtics' funeral afterward.

But the Celtics could care less.

"Honestly, no we didn't make note of it," Jeff Green said after the game. "They want to do what they want to do; that's none of our business. We're here to win games and take care of business. Whatever shenanigans they want to pull, dressing in all black, let them do that. We're here to win games and not talk."

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Before the Knicks take the practice court Thursday morning, the coaching staff is going to spend a considerable time going through the offensive game tape of Game 5's loss.

While the Knicks haven’t averaged 100 points per game in the series like they did during the regular season, their offensive flaws have been particularly exposed after back-to-back losses.

"Offensively, we were searching," coach Mike Woodson said after Game 5. "I'll go back and break this tape down, and we've got to come up with another plan."

The first thing Woodson is going to notice is how the Knicks' subpar defense didn't lead to much offense -- something he preaches constantly to his guys. Entering Wednesday night, the Knicks had 44 steals in the series compared to the Celtics' 21. But the Knicks had only eight steals in Game 5 and didn't capitalize that much in transition off of defensive rebounds. When the Knicks went up 3-0, those factors led to the Knicks controlling the tempo and scoring more points in the open court with their guard-oriented lineup.

"We're just not getting into our offense quick enough," Woodson said after Game 5. "We're just laboring. Our pace has got to pick up; that's on me."

Give some credit to the Celtics. In the past two games, they limited the Knicks' transition game while picking up their own pace. In the past two games, the Celtics had 25 fast-break points compared to the Knicks' 19. The Celtics have slowed down the Knicks to make them play half-court basketball through Carmelo Anthony, and the abundance of isolation caused by that slowing -- 28.6 percent of their plays in Game 4 and 26.3 percent in Game 5 -- has hurt them. The Celtics excel more defensively with their physical, grind-it-out style, and they're now winning that battle.

"The playoffs are like a game of chess, and Doc [Rivers] is winning," a veteran NBA scout said. "Doc is better than Mike at making adjustments. Doc is one of the best in the game at that."

The pressure is now on Woodson, so what might he do if Game 6 is more halfcourt-oriented?

It all starts with Anthony. Because the ball is in his hands the majority of the time, six assists won't cut it. That's how many he has in the entire series. While Melo "takes it personal with the Celtics," according to James White, he can't get caught up in trying to be a one-on-one hero. He needs to trust his teammates more and make quicker reads in pick-and-rolls and out of double-teams, utilizing skip passes to throw off the Celtics' defense.

The bottom line is: The Knicks need better ball movement. That team approach was a major difference for the Celtics in Game 5.

"I thought we moved the ball well," Kevin Garnett said. "In order for us to be successful, we need to lean on one another on both ends of the court."

Woodson also needs to play Pablo Prigioni more so he can set the tone offensively. The Argentine logged only 13 minutes in Game 5. And what about Chris Copeland? The Knicks have no other low-post threat besides Anthony, and a surprise substitution can come in handy. The Knicks also need to inject some clever screen sets to get their 3-point shooting going.

"If they don't go off from the 3-point line in the next game, it's big trouble in the Big Apple," the scout said.

After Game 5, some of the Knicks just felt they missed shots they normally make. But it's more than that, and the team will need to make some adjustments in Game 6.

Even Anthony knows the Celtics won't go away.

"It wasn't going to be a walk in the park," he said. "Those guys were going to fight, and they're showing some fight right now."

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The Knicks had it all planned out:

Bring black clothing to Game 5. Win the game, eliminate the Celtics and have a little fun afterward by wearing all black in the locker room to mimic a funeral.

Didn't exactly work out that way, though.

"We were going to a funeral," J.R. Smith said, "but it looks like we got buried."

And Smith helped the Knicks dig their own grave on Wednesday.

Coming off a Game 4 suspension, the Knicks' sixth man was a no-show against Boston in Game 5. He missed his first 10 shots and finished 3-for-14 with 14 points and two turnovers.

"It was a struggle for him pretty much the whole game," Mike Woodson said. "We got to get him in a position where he’s not struggling like that. We need him to score the basketball for us."

The Knicks' reliance on Smith has burned them in the last two games.

Smith was suspended in Game 4 for hitting Jason Terry with an elbow to the face in Game 3.

Without their sixth man, the Knicks' offense stalled.

Carmelo Anthony missed a career-high 25 shots and the Knick bench produced just three points in an overtime loss.

On Wednesday, Smith hurt the Knicks again. Only this time, he was in uniform.

New York jumped out to an 11-0 lead on Boston before Mike Woodson summoned Smith off the bench.

He checked in with 6:38 to go in the quarter and proceeded to miss his first five shots. It was no coincidence that the Knicks trailed, 45-39, at the half.

One reason for Smith's shooting struggles?

Pre-game anxiety.

Smith said he was "extremely anxious" before hitting the floor.

"Coming into the game a lot of fans got me hyped," he said. "I really couldn't wait to play."

Some of those same fans were booing him off the floor when Smith missed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds to go and the Knicks down nine.

By then, it was clear that Smith and the Knicks would be heading to Boston for Game 6 instead of celebrating their first playoff series win since 2000. It was also clear that the Knicks wouldn't be attending any funerals.

"We'll take that. It's all a part of being humbled," Smith said. "Basketball is a very humbling game."

Smith was anything but humble the day before Game 5. He said that the series would have ended in a sweep had he played in Game 4 ("I'd have been playing golf today," he said). He also playfully claimed to not know who Jason Terry was.

But Terry made sure Smith knew his name on Wednesday.

The Celts' sixth man poured in 17 key points in Game 5, including a 3-pointer with three minutes to go to give the Celtics a 12-point lead.

"We can't take nothing away from them," Smith said. "They're a championship ball club."

That's something the Knicks aspire to be. But they've looked like anything but in the last two games.

"Nobody said it was gonna be easy, but now it’s a series," Woodson said.

Smith, to his credit, accepted full blame for the Knicks' last two losses.

"Yeah, without a doubt," he said. "From the absence of Game 4 ... and then [to] come out today, stink it up.

"I can't have a game like this," he added. "I can't have another one like this."

He's right. Because if he and the Knicks continue to struggle, they might have all summer to hit the golf course.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

WHAT IT MEANS: Time to get nervous, Knicks fans.

The Knicks missed their second chance to close out the Celtics on Wednesday night, falling 92-86 to Boston at Madison Square Garden.

A series they once led 3-0 is now 3-2 heading to Boston for Game 6. No team in NBA history has ever rebounded from a 3-0 series deficit. But, as most New Yorkers can tell you, it happened in baseball in 2004 when the Red Sox came back on the Yankees.

The Knicks hope to avoid that inglorious fate.

On Wednesday, their offense failed them. Carmelo Anthony finished 8-for-24. J.R. Smith, back from a one-game suspension, finished with 14 points on 3-for-14 shooting.

Smith hit a 3-pointer with 1:05 to play to cut the lead to five points, but Boston's Kevin Garnett shook off Tyson Chandler to hit a 20-footer to put Boston up six, helping seal the win with 48 seconds left.

New York will need better performances from its scorers on Friday night if it hope to close things out and win its first playoff series since 2000.

JET STREAM: Jason Terry, the Knick agitator, poured in 17 key points, including a 3-pointer with three minutes to go to give the Celtics a 12-point lead. He had five 3s on the night.

Smith answered Terry's 3 with a 3-pointer of his own but Jeff Green (18 points) hit a 3 to put Boston up 88-76 with 2:24 to play. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each had 16 points. Garnett had 18 rebounds.

Brandon Bass defended Anthony well and chipped in 17 points.

ANOTHER OFF NIGHT FOR ANTHONY: Speaking of Anthony, he struggled all night against the Celts' physical defense. He went 2-for-10 in the second half. He finished with 22 points, but needed 24 shots to get there. In Game 4, he missed 25 of 35 shots.

Anthony may have been affected in the second half by a left shoulder injury. He got tangled up with Kevin Garnett and appeared to tweak his shoulder. He did not leave the game.

THREE-EALLY? The Knicks went a debilitating 5-for-22 from 3-point land. They went 3-for-14 in the second half and hit just two of their final eight. Yikes. Anthony went 0-for-5 and has missed his last 12 3s. Smith went 3-for-8.

For a team that relied so heavily on 3s, the misfires from deep buried the Knicks.

The Knicks shot just 23 percent from behind the arc on the night and lost for the first time at home in 13 games.

BAD BLOOD? Raymond Felton appeared to get into a skirmish with Jordan Crawford and D.J. White as the teams left the floor after the game -- another example of bad blood between two teams that don't like each other.

NO NOVAK: Steve Novak left the game in the third quarter and did not return. He had two points in three minutes.

3-0 HISTORY: Entering the 2013 postseason, only 10 of the 103 teams that fell behind 3-0 forced a Game 6, according to Elias.

Only three of those 10 teams forced a Game 7.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Knicks will travel to Boston to play the Celtics in Game 6 on Friday.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

The Knicks are looking to clinch against the Celtics, who are not going away easily. While Carmelo Anthony is off to somewhat of a better start than Game 4 -- he has 14 points on 6-for-14 shooting -- the Celtics have surprised the Knicks with their quick tempo. The Celtics have eight fast-break points; the Knicks only have one. In addition, the Celtics have made the Knicks pay with their weak defensive rotations.

Here are five more observations from the first half:

1. No mercy. For the Celtics, it's win or go home. For the Knicks, it's an opportunity to win their first playoff series since 2000. So both teams are playing very physical, not making anything easy for each other. At the start of the second quarter, Kenyon Martin fouled Kevin Garnett, which initially resulted in a Flagrant 1 but was later removed. After the play, Martin said, "Now that's a foul!" Later on, Garnett returned the favor, smacking J.R. Smith on a drive to the basket.

2. J.R. Brick. In his first game back from suspension, Smith is 0-for-5 from the field. He's 3-for-4 from the line, has two rebounds and an assist. Besides Anthony, the Knicks have no other players in double-figure scoring. The Sixth Man Award winner needs to be that second guy.

3. Melo's timely playmaking. Compared to Game 4, he's not over-dribbling. Tonight, he's making quicker moves in isolation, and he's reading the defense well. On one possession, he got Brandon Bass to bite on a head fake and later he slipped behind him for a layup. In the first quarter, he dished to Raymond Felton for a jump shot and then Pablo Prigioni for a 3-pointer. Entering tonight, Melo only had four assists in the entire series, but he already has two in the first half.

4. Felton's continued penetration. All series long, he's gotten deep into the paint with ease, and consistently finished at the rim. He's taken advantage of the Celtics playing bigger in the backcourt, and that was the case again in Game 5. In the first half, he had nine points on 4-for-8 shooting.

5. Marcus Camby sighting. He got his first minutes of the series late in the second quarter, when Tyson Chandler picked up his third foul. The third-string center had an offensive put-back off of Anthony's missed layup.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton have picked up their play down the stretch this season.

Is Tyson Chandler next? The numbers suggest he is.

Chandler's increase in minutes and rebounds from Games 1 to 4 prove he's returning to form after losing weight and stamina from battling the flu near the end of the regular season.

The starting center is also showing signs that his neck, which had a small bulging disk before the postseason, is feeling better, as he's experiencing less soreness in the area. All in all, that's great news for the Knicks as they look to close out the Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

"Oh yeah, I feel that Tyson would turn it on for the playoffs," Iman Shumpert said. "He's a big-time player. The playoffs are here and I expect a lot out of Tyson."

If they advance past the Celtics, the Knicks will need Chandler to be 100 percent healthy in the later rounds. He's arguably the best of the mobile centers in the NBA, and he'll have to do the most court coverage.

In many ways, Chandler is the anchor of the Knicks' defense, acting as the last line of protection, and offense because of the attention he demands setting screens and rolling to the basket.

"Offensively, he's one of the very best pick-and-roll guys to the rim, where he collapses your defense if you don't put bodies in front of him, and he has those lob dunks," Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told ESPNNewYork.com.

In Game 4, for the first time in the series against the Celtics, Chandler had two of those kinds of dunks. He also had his first double-figure rebounding game on Sunday (11). In the second half alone, he had five offensive boards (some tap-backs), which led to second-chance points and the Knicks coming back from a 20-point deficit to force overtime.

"I felt great tonight," Chandler said after the game. "I felt real lively, was moving around real well. I thought I gave my team an opportunity."

Felton added afterward: "Tyson's starting to look great. He got us a lot of key extra possessions down the stretch to really keep us in the game, and give extra possessions to get shots. That was something that was really helpful to us early in the season, so for him to be able to continue to do that will be big for us."

Based on Chandler's progression, consistent double-doubles are likely approaching. Just a few weeks before his neck ailment in mid-March, he had four games with at least 20 boards in February, including a franchise-record three in a row at the start of the month.

The other day, when asked if a 20-rebound performance was nearing, he flashed his big smile. With his team one game away from moving on to the second round, Chandler will be needed to play big on Wednesday night.

He's ready.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Will J.R. Smith be the missing "piece to the puzzle," as Mike Woodson likes to say, to help the Knicks close out the series against the Celtics? The sixth man will play in Game 5 after serving a one-game suspension for throwing an elbow into Jason Terry's chin in Game 3. The Knicks also return to the Garden, where they've only lost 10 games all season.

Here are three things the Knicks need to do on Wednesday (7 p.m. tipoff) to move on to the second round.

1. Get the Celtics in early foul trouble. While Carmelo Anthony has shot 31 percent in isolation during the series, that doesn't take into account all of the times he's drawn fouls. In Game 2, he was 10-for-11 from the line, and in Game 4, he was 16-for-20.

Kevin Garnett is the key guy to attack. Case in point: In Game 2, after the center picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and took the bench, the Knicks capitalized more in the paint and built a big advantage in the period. The Celtics' defensive anchor played cautious the rest of the game, not exerting his usual physical defense.

In Game 5, the Celtics will leave it all on the line, knowing they're down 3-1 and that this could be the end of their successful run since winning a championship in 2008. Therefore the Knicks will need to be prepared for an all-out battle and take advantage of the added pressure by drawing fouls. The Knicks will be at a luxury down the stretch with the Celtics' bigs in foul trouble.

2. Contain Paul Pierce's penetration and Jeff Green's transition game. In Game 4, Pierce took advantage of his size matchup against Raymond Felton and backed him down into the paint and scored, or passed the ball out to open teammates. Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni were forced to guard Pierce more with Smith out of the lineup.

In fact, because of Smith's absence, Kenyon Martin had to stick Green during a stretch and was scored on a few times. With Smith back, that should benefit the Knicks' lineups because he can can match up with Pierce or Green.

While the Celtics haven't had Rajon Rondo, they've had a transition threat in Green. In Game 4, the Celtics scored seven more fast-break points than the Knicks (15 to 8) with help from Green. The Knicks need to be more aware of him when he's leaking out to the wing. In addition, the Knicks need to cut down their turnovers -- they had 15 in Game 4 -- to limit the Celtics' breakaways.

3. How about some 3s? The Knicks, who made the 3-pointer a thing of beauty in the regular season, have only shot 33.7 percent from downtown in the series. Give credit to the Celtics for running the Knicks well off of the 3-point line. A key for the Knicks is to continue to push the pace off of defensive rebounds, and there should be some opportunities for transition 3s. Those could be the dagger in Game 5.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Every weekday throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip" segment.

Today's Burning Question: How important is J.R. Smith to the Knicks, and to Carmelo Anthony in particular?

Anyone who watched Knicks-Celtics on Sunday knows how much New York missed J.R. Smith. With Smith out due to suspension, the Knicks shot a shade under 29 percent in the first half and scored just seven bench points in the Game 4 loss.

"We missed him," Carmelo Anthony said on Tuesday. "We missed him just being out there on the court with us, what he’s brung to our team this year. No lie, we missed him.”

Anthony might have missed Smith more than any other Knick. He went 10-for-35 on Sunday without Smith, who was serving a one-game suspension for elbowing Jason Terry in Game 3.

And there's evidence that Anthony's struggles with Smith out were no coincidence.

Statistically, Anthony does not fall off of a cliff with Smith out. His field goal percentage and the Knicks' offensive efficiency remain relatively consistent.

But there are some metrics that show Smith's presence has a positive impact on Anthony.

Plus/minus, though an imperfect measurement, hints at Smith's affect on Anthony.

The Knicks outscored opponents by 237 points when Anthony and Smith shared the floor in the regular season, according to NBA.com.

They outscored opponents by 60 points when Anthony was on the floor without Smith.

Of course, those numbers are also influenced by the other Knicks on the floor, not just Smith and Anthony.

There is also evidence, though, that suggests Smith's presence helps Anthony's shot selection.

Thirty-four percent of Anthony's field goal attempts in the regular season came within five feet of the rim when he shared the floor with Smith, per an analysis run by NBA.com.

That number dipped to just 21 percent when Smith was on the bench.

Forty-four percent of Carmelo's regular-season shots were midrange jumpers when Smith was on the bench; just 35 percent of his shots were taken in the midrange (between 15-23 feet) when Smith was on the floor, per NBA.com.

So Smith's return in Game 5 could provide both a boost to the Knicks bench and a better boundary for Anthony's shot selection.

"It’s very important to have him back," Mike Woodson said of the NBA's top sixth man. "J.R. is a big piece to the puzzle."

A big piece to the Knicks' puzzle, and, maybe, to Anthony's.

Today's Burning Question: How important is J.R. Smith to the Knicks, and to Carmelo Anthony in particular?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- In the Knicks' Game 4 loss to the Celtics, Carmelo Anthony tied his career-high for most attempts in a game (35), and he only made 10 of them.

That didn't sit well with Melo.

"I haven't missed 25 shots in a long time. I don't think I'll have another day like that," he said on Tuesday. "35 shots is a lot of shots for me, kind of out of character for myself."

While Anthony liked that he got to the foul line on Sunday (16-for-20), he felt that his offensive rhythm was off and he forced too many shots.

"I felt like I was just one step slow, but I was speeding a little bit at the same time," he said. "So [in Game 5], I just want to relax and let the game come, continue to do what I've been doing the first three games, being aggressive."

The Knicks will need to be careful of falling into a Anthony-will-save-the-day mentality in Game 5. That was the case in Game 4, and while J.R. Smith will return on Wednesday, the Knicks still haven't avoided heavy one-on-one play through Melo in the series. In fact, he's been in isolation on 43 percent of the Knicks' plays that ended with the ball in his hands. And he's shot just 31 percent from the floor in that setup.

The Celtics have had some success guarding Anthony in isolation because of their size and physical nature, effective strategy packing the strong side where Melo operates, and then rotating quickly to cut off the Knicks' 3-point shooting (33.7 percent in the series).

In Game 5, the Knicks will continue to work the ball through Anthony in isolation and the low post, because as Melo mentioned, he's drawing fouls in the series. That will be a big key in Game 5. He's been able to beat the Celtics' bigs with his quicker footwork and fool them with his head fakes.

But there needs to be more of an offensive balance in Game 5, and that starts with Melo because of the attention he demands.

"For me, it's just working everybody back into the play, getting guys shots where they need to be at," he said.

How about Anthony running more pick-and-rolls to facilitate plays? That's where the bigger-sized Celtics have been most exposed defensively. While Smith and Raymond Felton have been pretty much unguardable running off of screens, that's especially been true for Anthony, who's averaging a playoff-best 2.1 points per play in the few pick-and-rolls he's run.

In fact, during the regular season, Anthony was the NBA's best scorer in pick-and-rolls -- better than even LeBron James and Chris Paul. Melo was the only player, with a minimum of 100 plays, higher than one point per play (1.1). That's a credit to his offensive threat, strength to ward off defenders and efficient, quick-release shooting ability.

Anthony ran increased pick-and-rolls with Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin in the second half of Game 4, and he got it going, helping his team overcome a 20-point deficit. He'll need to bring more of that two-man game to the first half on Wednesday.

It also won't hurt that Smith will be returning to the lineup for extra offense.

"It’s very important to have him back," Mike Woodson said.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

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."

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Jason Kidd got the phone call yesterday morning and “was caught off guard.”

Jason Collins called and told his old Nets teammate about the historic announcement that Collins is gay.

“He wanted to talk to me about it,” Kidd said on Tuesday at the Knicks practice facility when asked about his reaction. “And I fully support his decision. I think everything now will work itself out. It takes a lot of courage of what he did," Kidd added. "But it's just going to make the world a better place at the end of the day."

Kidd believes other NBA players will accept Collins moving forward. The Knicks point guard said all anyone has to do is watch “42” to see what Jackie Robinson dealt with. Kidd wasn't likening Collins’ situation to Robinson's but rather saying that it really shouldn’t be an issue.

“I think it shouldn't be a problem,” said Kidd, who played six-plus seasons with Collins in New Jersey. “You just have to go watch Jackie Robinson and see what he went through as a player and I think everybody will be fine with it.”

Kidd and Kenyon Martin both played with Collins while leading the New Jersey Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Both Knicks were extremely proud of their former teammate.

Martin, who played with Collins from 2001 to 2004, said he “didn’t have any inclination of anything like that” when asked if he knew about Collins’ sexual preference when they were teammates.

“Takes a brave man,” Martin said. “I commend him for him having the courage to do it. I have no problem with it. He was my friend before and he will still be my friend.”

“It’s huge for him to take this stand,” Martin later added. “Like he said in the [Sports Illustrated] article, somebody had to be the one to raise the hand. And he was the first to do it so you have to take your hat off to him.”

Carmelo Anthony says he is glad to see Collins come out and now be able to live the way he wants to.

“It was shocking I think to everybody,” Anthony said of his initial reaction. “But you see everybody supporting his decision. I’m just glad he came out. A secret like that can eat you alive. It sounds like, from what I’m hearing in the interviews, that he is a free man now.”

“For him to come out right now and be the first athlete to do it takes big [guts] to do that,” Anthony later added. “Especially the society we live in and knowing that everybody is going to have something to say. For him to step up to the plate and do that I’m pretty sure it’s going to open the floodgates for a lot of other people.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson coached Collins for one season (2009-2010) in Atlanta and he spoke to his former center on Monday.

“I have the utmost respect for him,” said Woodson. “He was a hard player for me and the decision that he made, we have to live with. That’s his personal life, and life goes on.”

Kidd and Martin believe Collins, a free agent, will get a shot to play again next season since teams can always use a physical big man who plays hard and smart. Collins does a lot of the dirty work that never shows up in a box score but is so appreciated by teammates and coaches.

Both would gladly be teammates with Collins again anytime.

“I can’t speak on nobody else,” Martin said when asked how he thinks other players will accept Collins in the locker room moving forward. “I only know the way I would treat him. He was my friend and he will still be my friend.”

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- J.R. Smith thinks the New York Knicks would have swept the Boston Celtics if he had played in Game 4 of their first-round series.

"Oh yeah, it would've been over," Smith said after Tuesday's practice. "I'd have been playing golf today."

The NBA suspended Smith for Game 4 after the Sixth Man Award winner threw an elbow at Jason Terry's chin late in Game 3.

Smith watched on television Sunday as the Celtics defeated the Knicks 97-90 in overtime to avoid elimination and extend the series. Terry scored nine points in overtime.

Asked about Terry on Tuesday, Smith said, "Who? I don't even know who that is."

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Former Knicks coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy says the Knicks need to keep their cool if they want to make a run to the NBA championship.

"I think poise under pressure is an incredibly importantly part of winning it all," Van Gundy said Monday in an interview on ESPN 98.7 FM's "The Michael Kay Show."

"I think, having been a apart of some teams that have gotten into some skirmishes, the ability to take what you think are unnecessary shots at you or not getting calls that go your way and ... to continue on and press on and not get distracted by those things, I think is an incredibly important part to winning it all."

The Knicks have lost their cool in several instances this season.

The most recent example is J.R. Smith's elbow to Jason Terry in Game 3 of the Knicks-Celtics series.

Smith was suspended for Game 4. The Celtics won the game in overtime and seemed to benefit from Smith's absence.

The Knicks' bench scored just seven points. Carmelo Anthony shot 10-for-35 and seemed to miss Smith, who draws attention from opposing defenders.

The Knicks have another chance to close out Boston in Game 5 on Wednesday.

"If your goal is to win it all, which the Knicks certainly have the right to think that they are in that conversation [to do], then I think they really have to keep their intensity high but also up their level of toleration for what they may perceive to be missed calls or overly aggressive play," said Van Gundy, who coached the Knicks in 1997 when a Charlie Ward-P.J. Brown fight led to suspensions and cost the Knicks a series win over Miami.

This year's Knicks have also lost their cool a few times in the regular season.

They melted down in the third quarter of a loss to Memphis early in the season; three Knicks received technicals in a pivotal run. Three Knicks were ejected in an ugly January loss to the Bulls. And, of course, there was was the Anthony/Garnett incident in January.

Three incidents over 82 games isn't significant, but other teams certainly took note.

"They've got to be able to stay in that moment and not put themselves in harm's way for unnecessary technical fouls or ejections," Van Gundy said.

Jason Kidd is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship, the NBA announced on Monday. Kidd becomes the first-ever back-to-back honoree, having won the award last season with the Mavericks.

In addition, Kidd is only the second player to win multiple Sportsmanship awards, joining Grant Hill, who has been honored three times.

"I'm trying to show [my teammates] that you can win the Joe Dumars award too," Kidd said on Tuesday. "You don't just have to win the scoring title or the sixth man. It's a great honor any time you are recognized with a great player like Joe Dumars. I've won it twice, so hopefully I'm doing the right thing."

The annual award reflects the ideals of sportsmanship -- ethical behavior, fair play and integrity -- which is a focus of the league's NBA Cares program. The trophy is named after Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the award's first recipient.

The league will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Kidd to his foundation, which is dedicated to improving education among the youth, by ensuring that kids of all ages are involved with mentoring, tutoring and technology programs to succeed in life.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Every weekday throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip" segment.

Today's Burning Question: Does Chris Copeland deserve consistent minutes in the playoffs?

After Game 4, there was some surprise among the team as to why Copeland didn't play, especially with J.R. Smith sidelined due to a one-game suspension. Two Knicks didn't have a reason and neither did Copeland, who said he was healthy enough to get minutes.

Instead, when Carmelo Anthony rested at the start of the second quarter, Quentin Richardson, who was out of the NBA the entire season except for the Knicks' final regular-season game, got playing time over Copeland.

Why? Most likely because Mike Woodson wanted to maintain his smaller lineup (Richardson is 6-foot-6 and Copeland is 6-foot-8), and in general, the coach favors seasoned veterans.

With Smith returning for Game 5, Copeland won't be as much of a topic of discussion, but he should be. Based on how he closed the regular season, scoring in double figures, racking up rebounds and forcing turnovers over the last seven games -- including in wins over the Thunder and Pacers -- the 29-year-old rookie can be an asset to the Knicks' playoff run.

But because he's a rhythm player, due to his offensive focus, he needs some consistent minutes to find his touch, and then carry that confidence and effort over to defense. His mindset is similar to Anthony's in a sense that when the Knicks' star scores, it fuels him even more on the other end. Sometimes when Melo misses a shot, having the mentality that every one of his attempts should go in, he dogs it defensively.

Because of their somewhat similar offensive gifts -- the quick release and post-up ability -- Copeland could act as Anthony's backup, and the team could go to him in certain sets. With Amar'e Stoudemire out for who knows how long, Copeland could be the second unit's low-post threat. Copeland's scoring versatility allows him to adapt as well. Because of his 3-point shooting, he can change his role to being a kick-out recipient, playing off of Melo.

It appears, however, that for Copeland and Steve Novak, two players who slow the Knicks' pace down to half-court sets and still struggle defensively, they'll be X-factors in the rotation. Woodson has preferred to up his guards' minutes to maintain an uptempo pace in transition, and that philosophy has worked well against the Celtics.

But things will get more challenging for the Knicks as they forge ahead, and key adjustments will need to be made. Coaches earn their money in the postseason by thinking outside of the box, and Woodson, at some point, will realize that Copeland has an important value to the Knicks. He's already proven himself on the court. Now, he just needs to get on it.

Do you think Copeland should be an active member of the rotation? Leave us your comments below.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.