Knicks top Cavaliers, end playoff drought

Amar'e Stoudemire walked off the court, faced an ovation from fans behind the Knicks' bench and took a bow. A summertime promise was accomplished and a seven-year itch was scratched.

"This is exactly where I expected to be; here in the playoffs," Stoudemire said after the Knicks clinched a playoff berth with a 123-107 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers last night at the Garden. "This was the goal, this was the plan . . . Now it's time to take the momentum into the playoffs."

The win, coupled with the Charlotte Bobcats' 97-91 loss to the Washington Wizards, finished the job for the Knicks, who will play in the NBA's postseason for the first time since 2004.

Stoudemire had 28 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots to lead the Knicks (38-38), who are back to .500 and have a chance to finish the year with a winning record. The Knicks need four wins in their last six games to finish over .500 for the first time in 10 years.

"The standards are higher now," said Carmelo Anthony, who has never missed the playoffs in his eight-year career. "Every year this is something that we should be looking forward to."

Anthony had 19 of his 25 points in the first half, helping the Knicks build a 22-point lead. Chauncey Billups added 23 points and seven assists as the Knicks won their third straight game after an alarming six-game losing streak.

"I think we're building our confidence now," Anthony said.

J.J. Hickson had 23 points and Baron Davis added 22 points for the Cavaliers (15-61), who lost to the Knicks for the first time in 12 games. The team with the worst record in the league beat the Knicks in three previous meetings this season, including twice since the trade for Anthony and Billups.

Again Cleveland gave the Knicks trouble and had the Garden crowd groaning with frustration as a 22-point first-half lead quickly dissolved to 10 at the half -- courtesy of an 11-0 run by Davis in a 1:18 span of the second quarter -- and then was sliced to two at 77-75 with 6:40 left in the third quarter.

"The good thing is," Mike D'Antoni said before the game, "I don't think we'll see them in the playoffs."

It wasn't until a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter that the long-awaited party was started. Bill Walker, who had 13 points, punctuated the run with an electrifying slam over Samardo Samuels with 8:59 left to give the Knicks a 101-90 lead. The Cavaliers were finally put away with 1:02 left and the Knicks holding a 121-104 lead. D'Antoni called Stoudemire, Anthony and Billups to the bench and they received a standing ovation.

The Knicks now have two weeks to continue to get their act together on the court while getting rest for their most important players: Stoudemire, Anthony and Billups. D'Antoni, however, said the pedal still has to be to the metal to finish out the season with the right momentum.

"We're going to play," he said. "We're going to try to win the rest of our games and try to move up."

The Knicks are 1 1/2 games behind the 76ers (40-37) for the sixth seed.

As for aiming for certain first-round matchups -- the aging Celtics or the star-laden Heat -- team president Donnie Walsh said the focus should be only inward.

"We should be more concerned with us and how we're playing," he said, "than any of that."