It starts with Boston and the goal is to end it with an Eastern Conference Finals upset of Miami en route to breaking a 40-year championship drought.
The Knicks dip their toe into the playoff waters tomorrow as the Celtics invade the Garden at 3 p.m. for Game 1. Mike Woodson's elderly club is either going to drown amid more of the injuries that haunted them all season and in the Knicks' past two first-round playoff knockouts. Or they are primed for a deep, magical run if they find the Fountain of Youth as they run all the way through South Beach.
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YOU LEAD: Old dance partners Kevin Garnett (left) and Carmelo Anthony will get a chance to renew their rivalry tomorrow when the Knicks and Celtics meet in Game 1 at the Garden.
Everyone is picking the Heat to defend their crown.
"They should pick the Heat,'' Tyson Chandler said. "They're defending champions and they should get that respect. But that's not what we believe. We haven't believed in that throughout the year.''
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Despite the ankle sprain to starting guard Pablo Prigioni that likely puts him out for Game 1, the Knicks are healing. Chandler was all smiles with a neck free of pain, Kenyon Martin (sprained ankle) is ready for his return and even center Marcus Camby (plantar fasciitis) went through practice and will suit up tomorrow.
Carmelo Anthony, the league's scoring champion, has been a picture of health since getting his knee drained in March.
"I feel great, my body feels great, we feel great, we're ready to rock," Anthony said. "I feel like the team that we have in our hands right now, we have a shot to do something special."
Woodson saluted his club for withstanding injuries to win the second seed and home court through the first two rounds.
"I'm fortunate to have this team,'' Woodson said. "I say that because we had so many injuries and despite the injuries, because guys were committed, we still overcame a lot of things. That's the sign of a good team.''
A team whose goal is to at least make it to Miami to face the defending-champion Heat.
"We're not thinking about Miami right now," Anthony said. "Yeah, we'll let Milwaukee [Miami's first-round opponent] have to deal with that problem. We've got a big task on our hands, which is the Celtics. There's no way we should be thinking about Miami at this point."
The Knicks will be favored to beat the Celtics, who are without Knick-killer Rajon Rondo. The Celtics clung to the seventh seed, but have championship experience, two future Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and a physical defensive mindset.
"Playoff basketball is physical and add to it the teams don't like each other, that's better. It's what you live for,'' Chandler said.
The Celtics eliminated the Knicks two years ago in a four-game sweep — one etched in Anthony's mind. They broke down in that series, with starting point guard Chauncey Billups ruining his knee late in Game 1 and Amar'e Stoudemire throwing out his back during Game 2 warmups. The Knicks fell apart physically versus Miami last year in a 4-1 KO.
They chase their first playoff series win since 2001.
"This is a different feel,'' said Chandler, who said his neck feels as good as it did early this season. "This is a better team than last year. Last year we were assembled late in a lockout season. We had to learn one another. I had to learn to play with Amar'e and Melo and they hadn't played together a lot. Now going through a great year and guys we have, it's a confidence booster.''
In extending the injury bug, Prigioni is probably done until at least Game 2 after rolling his ankle in the regular-season finale and leaving the arena, according to a source, on crutches. Woodson is leaning toward starting rookie Chris Copeland, who almost didn't make the team. That's how resourceful the squad has been — setting the NBA record for most 3-pointers made and leading the league in fewest turnovers.
"It's been a roller coaster, but we maintained and held in there as a team,'' Woodson said. "We put ourselves in the best position possible, winning the division, having the second seed. That's the best we could do this season.''
marc.berman@nypost.com
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