Tastes like victory!

BOSTON — Two days after dressing for a funeral, the Knicks finally buried the Celtics despite a fourth quarter when The Green rose from the grave.

The Knicks survived a scary 20-0 fourth-quarter run in the span of 3:35 to slide into the second round to face the Pacers, capturing their first playoff series in 13 years.

"It's a big relief for myself, the team and the city to take that next step, which is getting out of the first round,'' Carmelo Anthony said after last night's series-clinching 88-80 victory in Game 6. "It's something I looked forward to since I got to New York.''

Anthony J Causi

CHEW ON THAT, KG: Tyson Chandler looks on with a dejected Kevin Garnett last night during the Knicks' 88-80 victory over the Celtics in Game 6, clinching the first-round playoff series.

In spectacular fashion, the Knicks nearly blew a 26-point fourth quarter lead, letting Boston get all the way to within four points with 3:32 left. TD Garden was never louder. But a big ending by Anthony allowed the Knicks to hold on. Game 1 against the Pacers is set for tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at the Garden.

"It's a very deep breath we're taking right now,'' J.R. Smith said.

"Those guys over there are warriors,'' Raymond Felton said in salute of the Celtics.

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"It's just one step,'' coach Mike Woodson said. "I'm looking at the big picture. We made a major step, but we have a long way to go and we're on to the next step.''

Anthony drilled a backbreaking 3-pointer with 1:42 left, jacking the lead back up to 84-75. Anthony finished with 21 points on 7-of-23 shooting, but scored seven big points in the final 3:50 to silence the deafening noise. His 3-pointer broke a streak in which had missed 19 straight from downtown.

"He's shot 3-pointers well all year, but he had missed [19 straight],'' Woodson said. "But he made the biggest one of the series. That's what I look at.''

The Knicks staged the Celtics' funeral a game later than planned, after wearing all black to the Game 5 loss on Wednesday.

"We got to clear our head and think Indiana,'' said Pablo Prigioni, who had a big night with 14 points. "What we did here is done.''

In building their 26-point lead, it was not only about Anthony as much as a team bonding together, making sure it didn't become the first ever to blow a 3-0 lead.

The Knicks' defensive energy was spectacular and four of their five starters marched into double-figure scoring. Iman Shumpert (17 points), who had a late steal to stem the Celtics' tide, and Prigioni had terrific games. Tyson Chandler missed double figures by one point — finishing with nine points and 12 rebounds. After a slow start, Smith came on late to finish with 13 points, and Felton had 11.

After Avery Bradley intercepted an Anthony pass and scored on a layup, it was 79-75 with 3:32 left. Anthony came down and nailed a huge jumper to make it 81-75. Then his backbreaking 3-pointer stopped his skid.

"It didn't feel real,'' Shumpert said of the Boston surge. "We did a good job of giving ourselves a good cushion. I didn't think they could get that far into the lead.''

Before tip-off, the arena scoreboard showed an inspirational montage of 2004 Red Sox highlights and then snippets of Kenyon Martin and Anthony entering Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in their funeral-black garb with undertaker music playing.

The Boston fans loved it, but the Knicks seemed fired up from the start and took a 21-5 lead with a frenetic display on both ends.

Prigioni got hot from the perimeter, making three of six baskets in playing the entire first period. Anthony said he went into the game as a "decoy'' at the start because, "Boston thought I'd come out guns blazing, and that's how we built the lead.''

The Knicks took a 39-27 lead at halftime after holding the Celtics to 10 first-quarter points.

"It was an ugly series,'' said Woodson, whose team didn't score more than 90 points in any of the six games. "Neither team could score or get loose.''

Anthony scored on a 3-point play in the final seconds of the first half to up the lead up to 12, faking Brandon Bass on a pullup and drawing contract. He finished the half with 14 points, two assists and five rebounds.

However, he finished the series shooting 38.1 percent and was stretching his injured left shoulder through parts of the game.

"I'll be fine come [tomorrow],'' Anthony said.

marc.berman@nypost.com