ESPN

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

Today's Burning Question: Who deserves more playoff minutes: Steve Novak or Chris Copeland?

Mike Woodson has plenty of tough decisions to make as the Knicks approach the postseason. One has to do with two scorers on his bench.

Woodson has to figure out who deserves more postseason minutes: Copeland or Novak?

Copeland's made an awfully strong case in the final weeks of the season that he deserves to see the floor in the playoffs.

The 6-foot-8 forward's averaged 14 points on 50 percent shooting in his last 10 games.

Novak's scored seven points per game on 46 percent shooting in his last 10 games but has knocked down 45.8 percent of his threes.

So there's no clear-cut favorite here.

Neither player brings much to the floor as a defender. Both players can shoot the 3-pointer. Copeland boasts a versatile offensive skill set; Novak is one dimensional.

So Copeland may have an edge there.

But there is no guarantee that Copeland will even be apart of the playoff rotation; Woodson said earlier this week that he thought the 29-year-old rookie had earned a spot.

You can be sure that Novak will certainly be in the mix. Sharpshooters who sign $15 million contracts tend to get time in the postseason.

It's worth noting that Novak struggled to get open looks against Miami in the playoffs last season. At the very least, though, the 6-foot-10 marksman draws the attention of the opposing defense.

So, all of that leaves Woodson with a tough call to make when it comes to Novak and Copeland. Which way would you go?

Today's Burning Question: Who deserves more playoff minutes: Steve Novak or Chris Copeland?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter./

WHAT IT MEANS: Cope-acabana!

The party was on, once again, for Chris Copeland, who finished with a career-high 33 points on 14-for-29 shooting, leading the Knicks to the win in their season finale. He became the first Knicks rookie in 33 years (since Bill Cartwright) to score 30 points in back-to-back games.

With only eight available players on Wednesday night -- the others mostly rested -- the Knicks finished the season 54-28 as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They'll take on the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

DIFFERENCE-MAKER: Copeland. As he's done all season, the versatile scorer showed off his moves all over the court -- scoring from 3-point range, out of the low post, off driving layups and offensive putbacks. He's also been improving defensively, and tonight he had two blocks and a steal. Copeland has all but guaranteed a spot in the playoff rotation. Watch out, Steve Novak. Not only does Copeland have a quick release from downtown, but he can also put the ball on the floor.

PRIGIONI-AND-ROLL: If Pablo Prigioni played the entire game, perhaps he would've gotten his first career triple-double. But a sprained right ankle suffered toward the end of the first quarter (X-rays were negative) kept him in the locker room for the last three quarters. In the opening period, he had eight points (two 3-pointers), five rebounds and three assists. He also ran the pick-and-roll to perfection with new Knicks acquisition Earl Barron, finding him for two jump shots. The experience of Prigioni showed, playing in his first game with the center.

I-MAN: With no Prigioni, Iman Shumpert took the reins at point guard for the most of the game, and he played well, totaling 18 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals. If you recall, that's the position to which Mike D'Antoni transitioned Shumpert for a short period in 2011-12, when the Knicks were dealing with some early-season injuries.

This season, Shumpert's playmaking has gradually improved -- in transition and half-court sets -- since returning on Jan. 17 from a left ACL repair. His personal highlight tonight perhaps came off a pick-and-roll with Barron, in which he drove on Shelvin Mack, quickly crossed on him and bumped him while hitting a tough fallaway runner.

The play represented Shump's growth as a facilitator and finisher. In the postseason starting lineup, he'll cause some mismatch problems at small forward for his ability to create off the dribble. And, of course, he can knock down the 3.

THE BARRON BOOST: In the first quarter, Barron -- not even a Knick for 24 hours -- had seven points and four rebounds. He went on to finish with 11 points and 18 rebounds (six offensive). Not only was his jump shot on -- he scored most of his points outside the paint -- but he was also an interior defensive presence (one block) and a heads-up passer in the paint. On one play, Barron dished to Prigioni cutting backdoor through the middle of the lane for a layup.

FLIGHT WHITE: In Europe, James White's game was that of a point forward. Well, Wednesday night, he put those skills to the test, leading breakaways and several pick-and-rolls. In addition, his 3-point shot was on, finishing 3-for-6 from downtown. Overall, he had a season-high 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. While he'll hardly see playing time in the postseason, Mike Woodson could turn to him for some defense at times. In an earlier matchup in Boston, he put up a decent effort against Paul Pierce.

WHAT'S NEXT: Game 1 against the Celtics at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

The Knicks won the first quarter, 28-24, and that's a positive sign. In their current four-game winning streak, they had the lead after the opening period each time. The 'Bockers were led by J.R. Smith (21 points on 8-for-14 from the field and 5-for-5 from the line), Carmelo Anthony (11 points) and Kenyon Martin (5 points). Defensively, the Knicks turned seven steals into 11 fast-break points against the Boston Celtics.

While the Knicks were without Tyson Chandler (small bulging disc in neck), the Celtics were missing Rajon Rondo (right ACL tear) and Kevin Garnet (left ankle inflammation).

Here are four main observations at the half as the Knicks lead 58-44:

1. Smith's quick thinking and aggressiveness. Get it and go -- that's been the sixth man's mindset lately, not a lot of over-dribbling around the perimeter, but strong and crafty dribbling right to the basket. With Amar'e Stoudemire out, the Knicks have needed another player to draw fouls, and Smith has been that guy lately. Besides him, Anthony has been the team's only other consistent threat getting to the line.

Smith has relentlessly attacked the basket. He followed his own shot twice, along with a missed layup by Anthony, and scored each time in the first half.

2. Martin's window cleaning. Most of the time, if a team trailed in the assist margin 7-to-1, which was the case for the Knicks in the first quarter, that team would be down. But the Knicks had scoring machine Anthony and a very active Martin, who had three offensive rebounds in the opening period. In addition, Melo and Smith accounted for one each. That extra work helped the Knicks stay in front of the Celtics early on.

3. Pablo Prigioni, the gnat. After the Raptors game on Saturday, Raymond Felton referenced the Argentine as an annoying bug for his ball-hawking defense. In almost every game, it seems like Prigioni has a sneaky steal off an opponent's inbound pass, and he had one again tonight. He intercepted a pass for Avery Bradley and he took it in himself for a fast-break layup. In addition to his one steal, he had four assists and no turnovers.

4. Novakaine! Even though the Knicks shot 4-for-12 from 3-point range, Steve Novak was 2-for-4. One 3-pointer came off a smart head fake at the top of the key. That's the kind of quick decision-making the Knicks need from him in the flow of the offense. They can't have him hesitating and lacking confidence when looking to find his shot.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

In their blowout 113-84 win over the Jazz on Saturday night, the Knicks had one of their most efficient games of the new year. They shot 50.7 percent from the field -- their highest mark since Feb. 2 -- and finished with 21 assists and only 12 turnovers.

That difference stemmed from the Knicks getting creative in their half-court sets without Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire to lead them offensively. Mike Woodson not only put the explosive and play-making J.R. Smith in more pick-and-roll situations to complement Raymond Felton, which led to more inside buckets, but he also ran more screen formations for Steve Novak.

"Coach Woodson does a great job with Xs and Os," Novak said afterward, "so every timeout we have two plays that we come out with, and a lot of that was really his play calling."

Entering Saturday, Novak had only made five 3-pointers in a game once in all of 2013, but he was 5-for-10 tonight, providing the Knicks a big boost to quiet down the Jazz early on in the first half -- and then a finishing touch in the fourth quarter. His 20 points were a season high.

Here are five different examples of how the sharpshooter got open (some led to an open look but not a make, but they highlight the effectiveness):

1) With 4:13 to play in the second quarter, Novak set a back screen for Felton and then popped out for a 3-pointer (Knicks led 44-31)

2) With 3:39 to play in the second quarter, Novak ran through a cross screen and then back pedaled to the top of the key for a 3-pointer (Knicks led 47-31)

3) With 5:28 to play in the third quarter, Marcus Camby set a back screen for Novak who popped out to the baseline corner for a 3-pointer, which he missed

4) With 9:48 to play in the fourth quarter, Novak ran a pick and pop with Pablo Prigioni and then knocked down a 3-pointer (Knicks led 90-64)

5) With 8:22 to play in the fourth quarter, for an inbounds play, Smith set a pinch screen in the paint for Novak who popped out to the wing for a 3-pointer, which he missed

After the game, Novak noted that there was an extra emphasis to free him up tonight, and he credited his teammates for creating opportunities for him to get open.

"I'm normally a catch-and-shoot guy," he said. "Those guys did an unbelievable job of finding my guy and screening, and I think we definitely went to it more, using it as opportunities to screen and slip. For me, there were some flare screens and some pin-downs and stuff like that. So I was definitely used I think more in that capacity tonight."

Not only did Novak hit five 3s, but he also made more midrange jumpers off the dribble than in any other game this season (2-for-2). One of them was a two-dribble pull-up jumper, his first score of the game, and then off a head fake into an off-the-dribble runner. Entering tonight, he was only shooting 32.1 percent (17-for-53) from midrange.

"Novak was a major key tonight," Woodson said. "I mean, Novak made a couple moves tonight that we hadn't seen off the dribble, which was kind of nice to see. We've got to find ways for Novak to score the ball, because that opens it up a little bit."

On the Knicks' challenging five-game West Coast road trip ahead, Novakaine is the X-factor. The Knicks are now 5-0 when he makes at least five 3s in a game.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Without Carmelo Anthony (sore right knee), the Knicks hung around with their strong defense and smart offense, moving well without the basketball and taking good shots in the flow of things. While the Thunder were too much handle to offensively -- four players finished in double-figure scoring -- J.R. Smith was unconscious in the first half. He scored a team-high 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field and he had a big steal on Kevin Durant (13 points) to prevent him from taking a shot with seconds remaining.

Here are five main observations from the first half:

1. How about some transition defense? While Russell Westbrook is arguably the best player in the NBA in the open court, the Knicks shouldn't have allowed the All-Star point guard to score 15 points in the first quarter. The Thunder had 10 fast break points, most coming from Westbrook's athletic, gliding drives and his trademark pull-up jump shot. With the Knicks trailing behind on defense, they were forced to foul and the Thunder shot twice as many free throws (10-for-12) than the Knicks (6-for-6) in the opening period.

2. Felton and Smith on the attack: During stretches this season, Smith and Raymond Felton, the Knicks' two best guard penetrators, have relied on too much outside shooting, and their efficiency levels were low. But since Mike Woodson called for guys to attack the paint more last week, Smith and Felton have done that. In the first half tonight, Felton had 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting -- two off layups -- and Smith scored most of his points off the dribble closer to the basket. Smith worked off down screens and pick-and-rolls well tonight, looking to attack quickly, and he was crafty and relentless driving to the hoop.

3. White with, wait, two 3-pointers? That's right. James White, who started for the fifth straight game, tied his season-high with two long balls -- and they both came in the first quarter. Without Anthony, the Knicks desperately needed some earlier offense.

4. K-Mart makes an impact: In his most time since signing with the Knicks -- he played 13 minutes -- he D'ed up Kevin Durant and ran the court well, finishing an alley-opp from Smith. They played together in Denver, so that chemistry reemerged.

5. Precise passing: Late in the second quarter, Steve Novak and then Smith had careless passes. Overall, the Knicks had eight turnovers in the first half. The Thunder are lethal in breakaway opportunities, so the Knicks absolutely need to take care of the ball.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

With the Miami Heat's arrival in New York on Sunday, one of the biggest questions is this: Can Steve Novak get it going from downtown?

In the New York Knicks' two previous wins over the Heat, Novak shot 5-for-8 and 4-for-9 from 3-point territory. Overall, the Knicks hit 19 and then 18 long balls in each of those games.

Those high numbers represent what was working so well for the Knicks during their 18-5 start: They were moving the ball fluidly and capitalizing from beyond the arc. During that stretch, they were averaging 20.4 assists and only 10.6 turnovers per game (No. 1 in the NBA), while shooting 41 percent from downtown (second best). In fact, in those two Heat games, the Knicks had 27 assists and 12 turnovers, and then 20 assists and seven turnovers.

But during their recent 4-5 record, they've only been averaging 16.2 assists and 12.6 turnovers per game, and their highest 3-point mark was a paltry 36 percent. And Novak? Only two games with at least three 3s. While the Knicks have had offensive balance in the box score during that stretch, they've been mostly scoring off the dribble, unassisted.

That's mostly been the case because opponents have specifically looked to contain the Knicks' early season venom: Passes to 3-point shots initiated by Tyson Chandler's rolls to the basket. Instead of Mike Woodson adjusting to include more motion half-court sets and weak-side plays, he's been calling for additional one-on-ones, especially through Anthony.

"Novak is good, but it's too much isolation," one veteran NBA scout said. "The Knicks do nothing off picks to help Novak."

Another NBA scout agreed, and said, "I think it may just be a product of Felton and the offense's lack of recent effectiveness in general. When things are clicking, [Novak] gets great looks."

The first scout also says Novak has lacked confidence off the dribble, which he's needed to do more of because defenders have been shadow guarding him better. They know how big of a momentum changer he can be. While Novak worked on one-and-two-dribble moves last offseason, the scout said Woodson's coaching personality has appeared to rattle the sharpshooter.

"Mike berates too much like Bobby Knight," he said.

Through Novak's struggles, some have wondered why Chris Copeland hasn't played. While they're both weak defenders, Copeland can not only shoot from distance, but he's also a versatile scorer. He proved himself in the preseason and in limited starts this season, but a source close to the Knicks said the reason for his bench time is beyond the court.

"Very political," he said. "Do the money math and his age," referring to Copeland's lower salary and the 28-year-old rookie's status.

Most importantly, beyond the player debate, it's really the flaws in the Knicks' offensive system that have been affecting Novak's shooting lately. The Heat game presents a big opportunity for Woodson to make some changes to get Novakaine off to a lethal streak, starting on Sunday.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Could Steve Novak save the best for last?

Novak, who popularized the Discount Triple Check, was the last contestant to go in the All-Star 3-point shootout, but he failed to reach the finals.

While Novak only missed one money ball (worth two points), finishing with 17 points in the first round, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving had 18 to face off with San Antonio's Matt Bonner.

Irving, who represented the East, was the champion with a total score of 23 points. Bonner had 20. The other participants included Ryan Anderson (Hornets), Stephen Curry (Warriors) and Paul George (Pacers).

Novak's teammate, Carmelo Anthony, was sitting courtside during the shootout. Still, no current Knick has won the contest, which dates back to 1986, when Larry Bird became the first-time winner.

Up next is Knicks forward James White in the dunk contest. He'll be facing off against 2012 champion Jeremy Evans, 2007 winner Gerald Green, and first-timers Eric Bledsoe, Kenneth Faried and Terrence Ross.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Carmelo Anthony isn't the only lucky Knick who's had a chance to get to know Michael Jordan through the years. J.R. Smith, Steve Novak and Ronnie Brewer have all had special encounters with the greatest of all time.

ESPNNewYork.com spoke with the three of them to learn how Jordan -- who turns 50 on Sunday -- made a memorable imprint on their lives.

J.R. SMITH (age 27)

I think the most underrated thing about MJ -- still, many people know -- is his competitiveness. I mean, he wants to win at everything, whether it's cards, golf, basketball, anything. He wants to win at all costs.

We've spent some time together and he's always told me to try to get my midrange game going because I've always been more of a long shooter and with dunks. So he's always told me to work on my midrange game as much as I could.

It's been a blessing to be able to grow up in that era, when I was actually able to see him play and see his sneakers really grow. I've got an MJ tattoo on my chest. I got it last summer in Los Angeles. MJ's like my all-time leading hero ever. I have probably over, honestly, 1,000 pairs of sneakers, and probably 600 of them are Jordans. My favorite Jordan is the II's by far.

Sometimes I wear them during games. It depends on how I feel and it depends on how my game is going at halftime. I may end up changing them. On Sunday against the Clippers, I was in warmups with my regular Nikes on. I was like, "Nah, I can't do this." Then I switched to my Melos, but I was having a bad half, so I switched to the Jordan XII's.

STEVE NOVAK (age 29)

I guess you assumed he'd still be playing at 50. That's the surprising thing. It's wild, it's crazy to think.

Guys that are my age, we grew up when he was playing. That was his era. I mean, he was the basketball hero. For me, it's like Brett Favre and Michael Jordan. You associate the NBA and greatness and championships with Michael Jordan. There is a reason that every guy in every NBA locker room, whether they have a shoe contract with him or not, they have Jordan stuff.

Growing up, my good friend had video tapes of Jordan -- all these, just, highlight videos and his greatest shots, and championship runs and stuff like that. We would watch the videos, we would watch the moves he would make and then we would go out and we would play for hours. That was the guy who we looked up to when we were young kids.

I finally met him last year. It was unbelievable. When I met him, it was in Charlotte after a game and he came up to me in the loading dock when we were getting on the bus, and I think he said, "Hey, Nove, how you doing?" And he talked about the belt (Novak's celebration for 3-pointers), and I couldn't believe it. It blew my mind to think first of all he knew my name. ... I called my wife and said, "You're not going to believe this."

RONNIE BREWER (age 27)

MJ's a phenomenal player, a legend. It doesn't seem like he's turning 50. You still see clips of him still working out and shooting some shots when he's with the Bobcats. They've been showing clips of him this week and it makes you realize how amazing he was.

I first met him when I worked his Flight School camp in Santa Barbara when I was in college. He just told me, "Continue to work hard, don't let a lot of critics get you down. They might say your shot is this, your shot is that, but continue to play hard and if you can do that, you'll be in this league for a long time."

Then I saw him years later when I was playing for the Bulls. They had like a couple anniversaries for that championship team, so I got to meet him, say hello. It was really cool.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Knicks are in first place in the Atlantic Division and stand second in the Eastern Conference heading into this weekend's All-Star festivities.

But they'll enter the break with a bad taste in their mouths after what happened at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

The Knicks lost to Toronto 92-88, thanks to some porous perimeter defense and a poor shooting night from their star.

The Knicks allowed Toronto to hit nine of 21 3s, including four of six in the third quarter.

Carmelo Anthony, who entered play Wednesday tied with Kevin Durant for the league lead in scoring (29 points per game), was held to 12 points on Wednesday and missed eight of 10 shots in the fourth quarter.

Overall, Anthony shot 5-for-24 on the night.

This is just the third game this season in which Anthony failed to score at least 20 points.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: The Knicks trailed by nine with a little over 10 minutes to go in the game, but Anthony cut the deficit to three with a 3-pointer with 2:50 to play.

He had a steal on the subsequent possession but blew the layup.

With a minute to play, J.R. Smith missed a layup that would have cut the lead to two.

ALAN WRENCH: Alan Anderson killed the Knicks all night. He hit six 3s, three of which came in the third quarter, and helped Toronto outscore New York by 10 in the quarter. He scored a game-high 26.

This was Landry Fields' first trip to MSG since signing a three-year, $20 million offer sheet that New York didn't match.

Fields had 4 points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Gay finished with 11 points on 4-for-21 shooting and DeMar DeRozan had 20.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: The refs were more than happy to hand out technical fouls on Wednesday.

It started when Anthony was whistled for a technical for arguing a call in the first quarter.

In the third, Tyson Chandler picked up a tech for elbowing Jonas Valanciunas.

Aaron Gray then drew the ire of the refs for yelling at Chandler from the Toronto bench. Felton yelled back at Gray. Both players picked up technicals.

Later in the third, the Knicks caught a break when Kyle Lowry was tossed for picking up two technical fouls for arguing a call.

SMITH STEPS UP: Smith struggled on Sunday, scoring just six points on 1-for-9 shooting.

He bounced back on Wednesday to tally 26 points and hit five of 10 3s.

Ray Felton had 16 points and 5 assists. Amar'e Stoudemire scored 10 points. Jason Kidd was held scoreless.

EWING IN THE HOUSE: Ex-Knicks great Patrick Ewing was at the game, seated next to Knicks owner James Dolan. Ewing got a rousing ovation from the Garden crowd upon his introduction in the fourth quarter.

WHAT'S NEXT: Anthony, Chandler, Steve Novak and James White will head to Houston to represent the Knicks in the All-Star Game. Anthony and Chandler will play in Sunday's game and Novak (3-point contest) and White (dunk contest) will represent the Knicks in the skills competition.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

On Saturday night, James White will take center stage in the NBA slam dunk contest, but before he does, Carmelo Anthony wants to see him work on some of his midair acrobatics.

"I'm ready to see James start practicing, though," Anthony said on Tuesday. "He thinks he can just go out there and just jump from halfcourt and dunk. I'm excited about it, though. I know what he can do. I know he can jump. I don't think the world has seen him yet. It's definitely a big stage for him."

So what would it mean for White, the oddsmakers' favorite, to take home the crown?

"It means more money in my pocket, of course," he said with a laugh. "As far as the dunk contest, I feel like I'm one of the best to ever do that. To win it would solidify that for me and a lot of my fans."

White will be competing against 2007 champion Gerald Green (Pacers), Eric Bledsoe (Clippers), Jeremy Evans (Jazz), Kenneth Faried (Nuggets) and Terrence Ross of the Raptors, who the Knicks face on Wednesday night at the Garden.

As for Steve Novak, who's participating in the 3-point shootout, Melo said the sharpshooter is more than ready.

"I've seen him here practicing; he had a couple perfect scores a couple times," he said. "I'll be there watching."

Novak's challengers include Ryan Anderson (Hornets), Matt Bonner (Spurs), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Paul George (Pacers) and Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers).

If either White or Novak wins, J.R. Smith knows how they should party.

"You don't want to hear my celebration," he said, laughing. "My celebration is different from everybody else's, so I'm just going to say, 'Just wear a Knicks jersey, tweet about it and have fun all weekend.'"

Click here to read more about White's dunking exploits.

Click here to read more about Novak's 3-point shooting evolution.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Steve Novak makes his biggest impact on the Knicks' offense in two main ways. One is that his presence opens up lanes for his teammates, which Mike Woodson discussed on ESPN New York 98.7 FM on Tuesday.

"When opposing teams play us, they know he can make shots, so they glue to him," Woodson said. "But what it's done offensively for us some is open up other doors for other guys to make plays, because if he's on the back side of a pick and roll, and you don't leave the roll guy, he's open."

The second is obviously Novak's ability to make 3-pointers. But that hasn't been happening lately on a consistent basis. Woodson hasn't helped free him up through designed plays. As it is, Novak doesn't excel off the dribble.

After the All-Star break, Woodson said he will address getting Novak more looks. While this isn't the first time the coach has said that, he recognizes Novak's importance in helping to fuel the team's offensive flow.

"When we're playing open and freely like that, and he's getting shots and J.R. (Smith) is getting shots, and the ball is moving around, it just helps us offensively," Woodson said.

Depending on what happens next, Chris Copeland is waiting in the wings. Like Novak, he's a big forward who can hit 3s, but he can create his own shot. While both are weaker defenders, Woodson said Copeland could eventually see more minutes for his versatile scoring.

"A possibility," he said. "The only thing I think is holding Cope back is his ability not to defend either. I think he does a little bit more offensively."

"My teammates believe in me when I'm out there, so that's a blessing," Copeland told ESPNNewYork.com on Tuesday. "They respect my game and what I've done to get here. They push me hard."

Regularly after practices, his veteran teammates and the coaching staff work with him to drive home defense, and to help him refine his scoring in the low post. After Tuesday's practice, Amar'e Stoudemire and assistant Herb Williams were both going over fake and footwork strategies with the rookie.

"I'm learning every day," Copeland said. "I'm trying to grab as much as I can through this situation, playing or not playing. The next time people see me, I want them to just be like, 'Oh, he's different. He's got some new moves.' I learn from Melo, I learn from Amar'e and Tyson (Chandler) about defensive schemes."

While Copeland has gone from starting one night to not playing at all in another, he said that hasn't affected him because playing overseas helped him adjust to life out of his comfort zone. He said his goal is to "grow big time over the break," and he can't wait to get back on the court for the fans, who sometimes chant his name in the fourth quarter.

"New York has really, really been so good to me, man, despite the ups, downs, playing, not playing," he said. "It's unbelievable to hear that. No disrespect to the people in Belgium, but to be at the Garden ... they're behind me all the way."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Derrick Williams, Mickael Gelabale, Dante Cunningham -- it didn't matter. Carmelo Anthony took all of them to school in the first quarter on drives and jumpers, scoring a game-high 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He had 16 points overall in the first half. While the Timberwolves clawed their way throughout the game, keeping it close, it was the Knicks' six 3-pointers that gave them the advantage over Minnesota, which shot 0-for-6 from behind the arc.

Here are four other observations at the half:

1. Jason Kidd's early facilitating. Overall, the veteran point guard has consistently started games strong. That happened again tonight, which helped the Knicks take a 25-23 lead after the first quarter. He started at point guard and immediately dished to Anthony for a jumpshot. Then, Kidd scored in the paint with a fallaway jumper. On a following possession, he knocked down a baseline corner 3-pointer. He was also heads-up on defense. One time, he disrupted a pass to Williams down low, which would've led to an easy two.

2. Amar'e Stoudemire's all-around play. Here are the different ways the power forward made an impact in the first half: In the opening period, he set a back screen for Steve Novak, which led to an open 3-pointer at the top of the key. Then, at the start of the second, Stoudemire sealed off his man, received the pass inside and soared for a one-handed posterizing dunk over Greg Stiemsma -- looking like old school Phoenix Sun STAT -- and he completed the three-point play. Shortly after, Stoudemire grabbed an offensive rebound and then passed to Kurt Thomas for a jumpshot.

3. Novakaine! His first score represented a conscious effort from Mike Woodson to get Novak going after Stoudemire set a back screen for Novak in the first quarter. The second time Novak made a bucket represented the work he has put in behind the scenes. He head faked his defender, took a step inside the three-point line and hit a midrange jumpshot.

4. Knicks' defensive awareness issues. They still have a major issue not only getting back on defense, but then setting up quickly and picking up their individual assignment. Too many times in the first half, Ricky Rubio pushed the ball right by the Knicks and made something happen. They also need to put up more of a fight through screens. About three or four times, they poorly switched and Minnesota scored easily inside.

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: What are Steve Novak and James White's chances of winning their respective All-Star competitions?

During Thursday night's NBA on TNT broadcast Charles Barkley said this about Novak: "He may be the best shooter in the league."

The numbers don't lie, as the sharpshooter has the third-best 3-point percentage in the NBA (44.4), behind Kyle Korver and Stephen Curry. However, Novak's long-range accuracy is lower around the arc at 41.1 percent. In the baseline corner, it's much higher at 50 percent.

Novak's challengers on Feb. 16 in Houston are Ryan Anderson (Hornets), Matt Bonner (Spurs), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Paul George (Pacers) and Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers).

As for White, many players around the league and fans who've grown up watching his dunking exploits know no one else can take off from beyond the foul line -- and then go through the legs with the ball. The question is: Can White can still get up like that at 30 years old? We'll just have to wait and see.

White, as it turns out, is the oldest dunker in the competition. Eric Bledsoe (Clippers), Jeremy Evans (Jazz), Kenneth Faried (Nuggets), Gerald Green (Pacers) and Terrence Ross (Raptors) round out the other five.

Do you like Novak and White's chances in Houston? Leave us your comments below.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

During the course of the season, key role players like Steve Novak and Ronnie Brewer have seen their minutes decrease at times.

Then there are guys like James White and Chris Copeland, who have gone from starting one night to riding the bench for a few games in a row. In addition, premier scorers J.R. Smith and Amar'e Stoudemire have accepted coming off the bench.

But through all of the various individual ups and downs, the Knicks (31-16) have remained together through sacrifice. Novak talked about that on Thursday afternoon as a guest on ESPN New York 98.7 FM's "The Michael Kay Show."

"I think from the start of the season, before we even got to training camp, we knew that we were going to have a team that was deep," he said. "I think that's one of our biggest advantages; that's why we're sitting where we are right now.

"We, as a group, understand that there are going to be times that some guys play a ton and some guys maybe don't, but we're not a group that's six, seven, eight free agents vying for shots and fighting over that stuff. We're a group that understands that."

Though Novak is a rhythm player with his 3-point shooting, he said the fluctuations in playing time haven't affected him. He said the key is to be always prepared.

"I pride myself on being ready as soon as I get in there," he said. "I think you watch a guy like J.R. Smith, when he comes in the game sometimes, the first time he touches it, he's ready to go. He shoots it or he takes it to the hoop. I think that's the kind of group that we have."

Here are a few other nuggets from Novak's radio appearance:

Main defensive issue from Wednesday's loss: "Our pick-and-roll coverages weren't precise enough. John Wall was coming off and finding guys, and we weren't getting to the roll man quick enough."

Stoudemire: "Everybody really senses his energy and what he can do for us. The way we can throw it into him in the post, and having a guy who can play with his back to the basket and get you buckets, it's just so valuable. ... With so much attention paid to Carmelo (Anthony) and Amar'e, things are going to open up around them for everybody else."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

The NBA announced Thursday night that Knicks forwards Steve Novak and James White will participate in All-Star Saturday night competitions on Feb. 16 in Houston.

Novak will participate in the 3-point shootout, along with Ryan Anderson (Hornets), Matt Bonner (Spurs), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Paul George (Pacers) and Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers).

"He may be the best shooter in the league," Charles Barkley said of Novak on TNT during the announcement.

White will be in the dunk contest, along with Eric Bledsoe (Clippers), Jeremy Evans (Jazz), Kenneth Faried (Nuggets), Gerald Green (Pacers) and Terrence Ross (Raptors).

In addition to White and Novak, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler will be in Houston, suiting up for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.