Tyson Chandler to play Game 2

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MIAMI -- Knicks center Tyson Chandler, battling through flu symptoms, will start for the Knicks in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat on Monday night.

"I feel better. I don't feel 100 percent, but I feel better," he said on Monday before the team's shootaround. "I've been able to eat a couple times. I feel my strength will be back a little bit."

Chandler has been dealing with flu symptoms for the past four days. He struggled to play through them in Game 1, finishing with just three rebounds and seven turnovers in 21 minutes.

After the game, he received IV treatment for more than two hours. He missed practice on Sunday, instead staying at the team's hotel in an effort to combat the illness.

"The fever is gone," Chandler said. "I'm not feeling as weak as I was a couple days ago. It's just slowly but surely kind of getting better."

Baron Davis (back) will also start for the Knicks, who lost Game 1 on Saturday by 33 points. Shooting guard Landry Fields will replace injured rookie Iman Shumpert in the starting lineup.

Shumpert suffered an ACL and lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. He is expected to miss six to eight months.

Coach Mike Woodson said he chose to start Fields over J.R. Smith at shooting guard because he wanted to keep Smith's scoring in the team's second unit.

The interim head coach will also keep a close eye on Davis' minutes on Monday. The 33-year-old Davis scored 10 points in the first half of Game 1 but had to leave the game in the third quarter when his back stiffened up following a collision.

"I'm feeling a little bit better. I woke up, did some exercise, so I should be ready to go," Davis said.

Ian Begley is a regular contributor for ESPNNewYork.com.

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