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Amar’e Stoudemire admittedly was rusty Monday in his first scrimmage since undergoing right-knee debridement surgery in early March. Mike Woodson said Stoudemire will participate in another 3-on-3 scrimmage Wednesday in Greenburgh and a full-court 5-on-5 scrimmage Friday before it will be determined if he is ready to rejoin the lineup Saturday in Indiana. “As expected, (he was) winded and not in great shape,” Woodson 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.” New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Mike Woodson, Injuries 

"We can't go back to Indiana down 0-2," Mike Woodson said after practice Monday. "We got to do everything that we can possibly do to win the game." That doesn't include changing the starting five, though. Woodson plans to stick with his usual "small" lineup against the bigger Pacers when the Knicks try to even the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game apiece at the Garden. Newsday

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson 

But Mike Woodson isn't concerned about Kidd's offense. "Jason [Kidd] is going to be there when it counts," he said. "We haven't played him a lot of big minutes. ... We're trying to mix and match the best we can." Kidd said he's not going to change anything. "I'm going to play the game the right away," he said. "If a shot presents itself, I'll take it, and if it doesn't, I'm going to try to find one of my teammates a shot." ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Jason Kidd 

Evans Clinchy: Woody on winning a round: "It's a major step for our organization and our fans. But it's just one step man. I'm looking at the big picture." Twitter @evansclinchy

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson 

Gary Dzen: Steve Novak is out tonight. Mike Woodson on Amar'e Stoudemire possibly playing: "I don't think he's at that stage yet." Twitter @GlobeGaryDzen

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Mike Woodson, Injuries, Steve Novak 

Mike Woodson wasn’t happy. In fact, the Knicks coach said he was “upset” by his team’s all-black attire for Game 5, as they dressed to attend a funeral that didn’t happen. “I didn’t know about it until this morning,” Woodson said. “I made reference to our guys that we need to stay out of the paper and just concentrate on playing. That’s not important. What you wear doesn’t have anything to do with how you play on the basketball court.” Boston Globe

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson 

New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson sure didn't like his players' decision to wear black to Game 5 of their playoff series against Boston on Wednesday night, which they expected to be the Celtics' "funeral." Only the Celtics are still alive after winning 92-86, and Woodson said Thursday he told the Knicks to focus only on the court, not their closets. "I made reference to our guys, we need to stay out of the paper and just concentrate on playing," Woodson said after practice, "because that's not important. What you wear doesn't have anything to do with how you play on the basketball floor." Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Mike Woodson 

Chris Herring: Woodson on funeral talk concerning the Celtics: "I told our players to stay out of the papers and just focus on playing." Twitter @HerringWSJ

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Mike Woodson 

Chris Herring: "I'm a little upset about [the funeral talk.] Ive addressed that [with them]. We're the New Kid on the Block." Says he wouldve stopped it... Twitter @HerringWSJ

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson 

Woodson was asked if he ever thinks about what would have happened had he gotten the Pistons' head coaching job two years ago. He said no. "Man, listen, I'm happy to be in New York," Woodson said. "I'm just going to tell you that. I'm happy where I am, man. This couldn't have worked out any better for me as a coach: to be able to come back where I started [as a player]." Newsday

Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Coaching 

Gary Dzen: Mike Woodson on J.R. Smith suspension: "He's a little down but he'll rebound from it. We'll all rebound from it and keep moving." Twitter @GlobeGaryDzen

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, J.R. Smith 

The incident, for which Smith was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 7:06 remaining in Friday’s Game 3. The Knicks lead the series 3-0, but their chances of posting a sweep and gaining extra rest will be compromised without Smith, their second-leading scorer. The incident also calls into question whether the flaky shooting guard is going to keep his head throughout an ongoing playoff journey. Smith has been ejected three times this season, all on the road, including regular-season games at Indiana and Golden State. “I’m always in J.R.’s ear,” coach Mike Woodson said. “That one incident [Friday] night is not going to deter me on how I think about J.R. He’s had a helluva year. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, JR Smith 

The Knicks have outclassed Boston, holding them to 75 points per game on 39.5-percent shooting. “For this organization, it’s great for not only our players and ownership, it’s great for our fans,” Woodson said. “People who came out and pay their hard-earned money to watch us play, we had some tough years. They should be enjoying this.’’ Boston coach Doc Rivers fumed about the Smith elbow, saying he wished he was “still a player’’ so he could settled the score. The NBA may not have wanted Smith on the parquet today for fear of a potential rhubarb. “He’s handled it the right way,” Anthony said. “He felt bad about it. We accepted it and moved on.” New York Post

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Doc Rivers, Mike Woodson, JR Smith 

Tyson Chandler told The Post he lost 10 pounds because of flu-like symptoms he sustained late in the regular season while he was rehabbing his neck injury. Chandler played below par in the first two games of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Celtics, and coach Mike Woodson blamed that on Chandler’s weight loss. Last night, Chandler had six points and eight rebounds in the Knicks’ 90-76 victory, which gave them a 3-0 series lesd. “The fact he was off — he’s a lost a little weight — and we’re trying to get his strength back up,’’ Woodson said. New York Post

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Tyson Chandler 

This week, former Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas appeared on NBA TV and said that Mike Woodson deserves the Coach of the Year Award. But that's not on Woodson's mind. "That's good, but I'm not in this for Coach of the Year," he said. "I'm in it to try and see if we can get this team to the championship round and try and win a title. If it happens, it happens. I'm not sitting here holding my breath about a Coach of the Year Award." ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Coaching, Isiah Thomas 

This week, former Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas appeared on NBA TV and said that Mike Woodson deserves the Coach of the Year Award. But that's not on Woodson's mind. "That's good, but I'm not in this for Coach of the Year," he said. "I'm in it to try and see if we can get this team to the championship round and try and win a title. If it happens, it happens. I'm not sitting here holding my breath about a Coach of the Year Award." ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Coaching, Isiah Thomas 

Time will tell whether Mike Woodson makes a historical dent in New York sports, or whether in the end, he was just passing through. But we already know this about the Knicks' coach: He's the right man at the right time for this particular New York team. That was evident Monday during a daylong hugfest -- both figuratively and literally -- at the team's training facility, where the previously incorrigible J.R. Smith was presented the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, prompting a series of heartfelt thoughts from coach to player and back. Newsday

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, J.R. Smith 

"Coach Woody and I talk so much, our communication is, not a day goes by where we don't have a conversation about the way I am playing or off the court or whatever it is," Smith said. "He's just such an influence as a coach, the most I've ever had." Newsday

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, JR Smith 

Smith spoke a few hours after Woodson gave him a "big hug" and told him things have a way of working out in life, and 90 minutes after the coach told reporters how proud he is. "He didn't like it, but he bought in," Woodson said. "It couldn't happen to a better person because he put in the time and he worked his butt off to get to this point and he got rewarded for it and I'm happy for him." Newsday

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, JR Smith 

"Couldn't have happened to a better guy," Woodson said. "I'm so proud of him, in terms of buying into what we wanted him to do earlier in the season. And it started this summer. I wasn't going to start him, coming into this year, and I knew that. And he bought in. He didn't like it, but he bought in. And it couldn't have happened to a better person, because he put in the time and he worked his butt off to get to this point, and he got rewarded for it. I'm happy for him." NBA.com

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, JR Smith