INDIANAPOLIS -- Mike Woodson will go with a small-ball starting lineup in Game 6 -- the same lineup that he has played for most of the season. Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni will start in the backcourt alongside Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.
Forget win or go home. This is win and go home. If the Knicks win Game 6 of their series against the Pacers on Saturday night in Indy, they will force a Game 7 at home Monday night. But it won't be easy.
Mike Woodson still has confidence in Jason Kidd. Just not enough confidence to guarantee the slumping veteran more minutes in Game 6. Woodson played Kidd just five minutes in the Knicks' Game 5 win over Indiana.
Chris Copeland's agent, John Spencer, told ESPNNewYork.com on Friday that the Knicks are planning to give the rookie forward a qualifying offer for next season. Spencer also said his client "really wants to return" to the team.
Earlier on Friday, I chatted online with fans about the Knicks. The topics included a preview of Game 6, Chris Copeland's emergence and the Knicks' offensive improvements, the team's rotations, health updates and a look ahead to the offseason, including Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby's future.
Pacers point guard George Hill missed Game 5 against the Knicks because of a concussion. There's no definite timetable for his return. But, under the guidelines of the NBA's concussion protocol, it seems highly unlikely Hill returns in time for Game 6 on Saturday.
Every weekday throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip" segment. Today's Burning Question: Should Mike Woodson focus on his best offensive/defensive lineups in Game 6, bypassing Jason Kidd and Amar'e Stoudemire?
Mike Woodson has been trying too hard to search for answers offensively. He had Chris Copeland right there sitting behind him on the bench. After two losses in which the Knicks averaged 76.5 points, Woodson announced on Thursday that he would play Copeland more minutes in Game 5 to give the team a scoring boost.
Brushing off allegations made by Rihanna about his excessive partying, J.R. Smith insisted on Thursday night that he has focused on basketball, not social media. "I'm not worried about Instagram, I'm worried about the playoffs," Smith said after the New York Knicks' Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks' win Thursday gave them more than just a chance to play another day -- it gave them confidence. "If any team can accomplish this, I feel like we can," Tyson Chandler said. The "this" Chandler was referring to is winning a series after trailing 3-1.
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