Mike Woodson isn't changing his lineup, Carmelo Anthony will keep shooting and the Knicks say they will start redeeming tonight.
The Knicks face a genuine must-win Game 2 against the Pacers, who took Game 1 of the second-round series, 102-95, Sunday at the Garden. A loss would put them down 0-2 heading to Indiana, where the Pacers beat the Knicks both times in the regular season.
"We don't want to do that," Anthony said after yesterday's practice. "We want to take care of business on our floor. We felt we gave them a game, which we did. We'll redeem ourselves [tonight]."
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
STANDING PAT: The payback-minded Knicks will not adjust their lineup for tonight's Game 2 to add size against the burly Pacers, considering their opening loss more the result of Carmelo Anthony (right) and J.R. Smith missing shots.
History is against the Knicks, who are 0-5 in playoff series in which they drop the first game at home.
"It's very critical,'' Woodson said. "We can't go back to Indiana down 0-2. We got to do everything we can do to win the game."
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Anthony is shooting an awful 38.1 percent in the playoffs and has shot an even worse 35-of-110 (31.8 percent) in these last four playoff games.
"I feel the shots I'm taking I should still take," Anthony said. "I feel those shots I can make. I'm going to keep shooting. We'll be a much better team [tonight]."
Woodson said he will keep Anthony at power forward for now and not make a panic move to a bigger starting lineup. Kenyon Martin raised the possibility after Sunday's loss that a foul-plagued Anthony is getting beat up on the block and the Knicks may want to match the Pacers' size up front.
In a switch to a more traditional frontcourt, Martin would start at power forward, Anthony would slide to small forward — away from the Pacers' burly David West — and guard Pablo Prigioni would head to the bench.
But Woodson's smallball lineup will live another game.
"Not right now," Woodson said. "It's too early in the series. We held our own to start the game. It had nothing to do with who started at the 4 or 5. We came out of the [first] quarter up five points. Melo didn't get one foul guarding David West."
Anthony picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter and played through it. Woodson believes Anthony is due for a big game.
"Melo's played big guys all year,'' Woodson said. "Last I checked statistic-wise, we've been pretty damn good with Melo playing the 4. I don't see any reason to change it.''
Last month, Woodson said he might go big against a tall team like the Pacers.
"I'm not saying I won't do that, I'm saying right now we have just one game under our belt,'' Woodson said. "And the big lineup to start didn't cost us the game. I don't consider Melo small. You guys might. I don't. Kenyon is no bigger than Melo in term of starting a bigger 4. We'll gauge it and see how it goes. If we have to make the adjustment, I'll be the one to make that call.''
That last line could be perceived as a dig at Martin, who suggested the possibility. Either way, the Knicks can't play with the same lack of fire as they did Sunday or the season will vanish. The Knicks were hammered on the boards, 44-30, outhustled and outmuscled.
"Everything comes back to the effort,'' Anthony said. "We can't get outworked again."
Anthony, playing with a sore shoulder, shot 10-for-28 Sunday. He's a stunningly bad 2-for-his-last-24 on 3-point attempts. With his jump shot off kilter, he is forced to barrel to the bucket and isn't getting the calls. On one foray, Indiana's 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert all but slapped him across the face as Anthony missed a dunk — there was no call.
"I've been seeing the same defense all year long,'' Anthony said. "My shots, I'm not going to overanalyze it or put it under a microscope. It's just not going in."
Woodson also believes the offensive scheme needs no adjusting for Anthony.
"We're putting him in position to drive it, we're putting him in position where he can make jump shots,'' Woodson said. "I'm not going to sit here and complain about the officiating. I'm not going to take him out of those positions. We're putting him in positions to take the ball to the bucket, and that's what he has to do and hope for the best.''
Does he get enough respect from the referees, considering he just finished third in the MVP balloting?
"I don't know,'' Anthony said. "I guess I got to earn my respect.''
Starting tonight.
marc.berman@nypost.com
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