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That rotation kept the struggling Jason Kidd and the rusty Amare Stoudemire on the bench for the entire second half. Kidd appears to be barely hanging on at this point in the season while STAT is still adjusting after returning from his second knee surgery of the season. The absence of both players allow Chris Copeland to play a substantial role and the rookie forward gave the Knicks enough of a boost in Game 5 that Woodson said he might increase Copeland's minutes Saturday. It's hard to see either Kidd or STAT having much of an impact the rest of this series.

Copeland was a spark off the pine on Thursday with 13 points (three 3-pointers) to go along with two steals in just 19 minutes, and we wouldn't be surprised if the rookie saw 20-25 minutes on Saturday. His ability to stretch the floor is something the Knicks need, and he's clearly helping the team where it needs assistance.

Felton's been dealing with the ankle issue since the beginning of the month, but he doesn't anticipate taking any time off and that lines up with both the Knicks' expectations and ours. Felton will play through almost anything he can, but the ankle may limit what he's able to do in terms of his mobility on Saturday.

We never doubted Chandler would play in Game 6, but it's encouraging to hear nonetheless. Of course, we wouldn't expect the Knicks to give much detail on injuries considering the track record with the team, but Chandler will be out there for Saturday's must-win affair.

He did not practice on May 9 due to left ankle soreness. "My ankle is sore but I'll be fine for Saturday," Felton said. He didn't really show much signs of his ankle bothering him during the game and it didn't look like he aggravated it on a specific play. Anyone that has played on an ankle that is less than 100 percent can probably put themselves in Felton's shoes and we're not expecting any limitations on Felton for Game 6.

Prigioni is known to be close with Manu Ginobili, and the rookie passed up a two-year deal from the Knicks in order to take a one-year deal and keep his options open. It doesn't sound like anything more than chatter for now, but it's a reminder Prigioni could spend just one season with the Knicks.

"I'm just concentrating on trying to get healthy," he said. Thomas is off crutches, and the 40-year-old isn't closing the door on returning to basketball next season. "I definitely miss being around the guys. I miss being a part of the playoffs. And I just miss being around basketball. I love the game," Thomas said.