By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — Amar'e Stoudemire declared in July that Knicks basketball was back. On Sunday, he was proven right.
Stoudemire had 28 points to lead the Knicks to a 123-107 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure New York it's first playoff berth since 2004.
"It feels great," Stoudemire told the New York Post. "That was the goal we set at the start. That mission is accomplished. Now it's on to the next one."
The Knicks finally beat the lowly Cavs after losing to them in their first three meetings earlier this year. Cleveland cut New York's lead to 93-90 in the fourth quarter, but Stoudemire scored 11 points in the final frame to propel the team to a win.
Carmelo Anthony had 25 points and Chauncey Billups added 23 for the Knicks.
New York, which impoved to 38-38 on the season, needs to win four out of its last six games to have a winning season for the first time in nine years.
"I think everybody should be excited that Knicks basketball is back, that the standards are higher now and every year this is something we should be looking forward to, which is making the playoffs," Anthony told the Associated Press.
