Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) smiles on the court against the Boston Celtics during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 87-71. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The playoffs are a battle of wits and coaching. A battle between the minds of coaches can be captured in every game of every series. Teams are constantly making adjustments whether they come possession by possession, game by game, or half by half.

So far in the Celtics and Knicks series, Mike Woodson has been winning the battle of wits between he and Doc Rivers. That showed especially last night when the Knicks needed an offensive jolt out coming into the second half.

What better player to use to spark your offense than Carmelo Anthony? He is the fulcrum that keeps the Knicks offense moving like a well-oiled machine. In order for the Knicks to win most of the time, Melo has to get going.

The Celtics did a great job of stopping Carmelo in the first half. He went 3-11 in the first half and scored 15 points. If he didn’t make 8-9 free throw attempts, his first half would’ve been awful. He did a great job of drawing defenders and forcing them to foul.

But most of Carmelo’s possessions were coming from him establishing post position and wing isolations. The Celtics were fighting to keep Melo off of position on the block and even resulted to fronting him when Jeff Green was guarding him for a spell.

In the second half the Knicks got the offense that they wanted. They used Carmelo Anthony as a screener to enhance the floor spacing. He’d set a screen for a player moving off of the ball while the pick and roll was being utilized at the top of the key.

Because he was no longer in the paint, that left more room for dribble penetration and Tyson Chandler dives to the rim. It also opened up the floor for shooters. You can see that in the video below.

The Knicks used a technique with Melo on the baseline to free up space on the perimeter. Chandler and Felton had plenty of room to work with up top while Melo was screened by the ball handler on the weak side. Then he goes to the other corner through the baseline and sets a screen for Iman Shumpert.

While this is going on, the pick and roll up top distracts Paul Pierce enough for Shumpert to get free from off of the switch. Felton notices that and dishes the ball to the corner for an Iman Shumpert three point attempt.

That same action was used in combination with Melo isolating on the block and Melo as the roll man on the wing. This combination of off and on ball action was what broke the game open for the Knicks and the Celtics should expect to see this throughout the rest of the series.

Mar 31, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) defends New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) as he controls the ball during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 108-89. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the regular season is officially over, here is the schedule for the series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.

• Game 1 - Sat April 20, Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ABC/R
• Game 2 - Tue April 23, Boston at New York, 8 p.m., TNT
• Game 3 - Fri April 26, New York at Boston, 8 p.m., ESPN
• Game 4 - Sun April 28, New York at Boston, 1 p.m., ABC/R
• Game 5 * Wed May 1, Boston at New York, TBD, TBD
• Game 6 * Fri May 3, New York at Boston, TBD, TBD
• Game 7 * Sun May 5, Boston at New York, TBD, TBD

For the Celtics, stealing the first game of the series is a must. Since they do not have home court advantage, Boston will have to win a game on the road. Next, Game 3 is crucial as it could set the tone and potentially decide the victor. With the recent event that took place in Boston, the TD Garden will be louder than ever and the fans alone could be a factor when the Celtics return home.

Game 4 is also something to keep an eye on. Boston has had difficulty playing afternoon games, and at times have shown little effort until the second half. The two day games are critical as both teams will probably be out of rhythm since most games are played around 7-8 pm.

This is going to be a great series that will add another chapter to the Boston vs New York book filled with history in the four major sports leagues. It’s been said every year, but cherish this postseason. With Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce getting up there in age, it’s unknown how many more years they can play at the same level.

The Boston Celtics may be without star point guard Rajon Rondo, but they have two tenacious guards named Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee. The biggest threat to the Celtics chances of moving on is Carmelo Anthony. He has the ability to take over games and defeat Boston by himself.

This series has been anticipated for weeks, and now it is finally here. So let’s go Celtics and capture banner 18!

Mar 31, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) defends New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) as he controls the ball during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 108-89. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

It’s official, the Boston Celtics will be facing the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs for the second time in three years. The difference this time? The Knicks will have home court advantage, while the Celtics find themselves in unfamiliar territory playing on the road in their first two games of the postseason. Boston has their work cut out for them as they’ve lost decisively to New York in their last two meetings. Carmelo Anthony has stepped up his game at the right time and is leading his team into the playoffs on an emotionally high note.

There are two x-factors for the Celtics who could change the complexion of the series and possibly propel the veteran team past the very sound New York Knicks. Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green are the players that have the ability to take over games, cause matchup problems, and have the talent to overcome the odds that Boston currently faces. For Garnett, health is the only issue that could hinder him from having a major impact on defense and be the anchor that the Celtics need to stop the Knicks offense. Green has to be aggressive, but needs to play smart and not receive unnecessary fouls, especially when he’s driving into the paint. He causes headaches for opponents because of his length and capability to play multiple positions throughout a game. The Knicks will have the daunting challenge of balancing who defends Green, as Carmelo Anthony would likely be matched up with Paul Pierce.

However, the real deciding factors of this series will be Boston’s rebounding and limiting New York’s ability to rain down threes. The Celtics can’t afford to give the Knicks multiple second chance opportunities as that has been a problem for them in the previous meeting between both teams. When crashing the offensive boards, New York can kick the ball out to their three point shooters like J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. So to put it simply, no offensive rebounds leads to no wide open shots on the perimeter for the Knicks.

Celtics fans have downplayed this series for the past few weeks as this matchup was seen as very likely throughout the season. I tend to disagree that Boston has the ability to walk all over New York and steal a series away from a team who has home court advantage and has size that can’t be rivaled. At least in the Celtics case, they don’t have the size to match the Knicks height. If Boston does make it past New York it will be a long, hard fought battle that could very well go six to seven games before a victor can be decided. The Knicks aren’t afraid of anyone, and rightfully so. For the Celtics to advance they’ll have to display much more energy and effort on both ends of the floor, but what they can’t control will determine how far they go, which is health. If Kevin Garnett doesn’t have to miss any time, and Avery Bradley doesn’t have a reoccurring injury to his shoulders, Boston will have a better chance in this series.

What hasn’t been brought up yet is the fact that this could be Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett’s last postseason with the Celtics. Garnett is getting up there in age and has had to deal with health issues, while there are rumors that teams like the Los Angeles Clippers have interest and will try acquiring Pierce. With that being months off and not etched in stone, the present holds some significant challenges that need to be dealt with now. The Celtics face a tough opponent in the first round who is hungry to advance. This won’t be an easy task for Boston and will require contributions from everyone, including the last player on the bench. If the Celtics want to go far, they’ll have to rely upon each other and face this war together as brothers. This team has the experience and will have to use it to get by the Atlantic Division champions.