By Michael Ventura
DNAinfo Managing Editor
MANHATTAN — Years of suffering and angst end for New York Knicks fans Sunday night as the team makes its first postseason appearance in nearly a decade, facing the Boston Celtics.
Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, who led New York's resurgence this season, will lead New York against Boston's' "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.
"New Yorkers have been waiting a long, long time," Anthony told the Daily News.
"I can't wait," he told the Post.
Lead by Anthony, who came to the team in a mid-season trade where the Knicks sent the bulk of their starting lineup to the Denver Nuggets, New York finished with a 42-40 record.
It was the first time the Knicks had a winning season since 2001, which was also the last time the team won a playoff game. They lost in the first round to the Toronto Raptors in five games after winning the first two.
"Our main goal is to get to the finals," Stoudemire told the New York Post. "That's our main goal. But we've got to win. We've got to go out to Boston and get a win."
Stoudemire injured his ankle near the end of the season, but said he'd be ready when the Knicks take the court at 7 p.m. at the TD Garden.
"The ankle is 100 percent — no worries," the Knicks superstar told the Post. "Postseason brings out the best of me."
The Knicks caught a break Saturday when it was announced that aging center Shaquille O'Neal will miss Game 1 with an injury.
Still, New York will have to contend with a potent Celtics team, which made the NBA finals last season before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
All eyes will be on the matchup between Anthony and Pierce, which the Knicks superstar downplayed on the eve of the game.
"My focus is to try to go out there and beat the Celtics. We're going to try to beat the Celtics," Anthony told the Post. "I'm not going to try to make this a one-on-one battle between me and Paul Pierce. Because I can't beat Boston by myself and Paul is not going to beat us by himself."
The Knicks-Celtics series comes to Madison Square Garden on Friday for Game 3.
