Knicks, With Lively Ball Movement and Defense, Win Again The atmosphere for the Knicks" matinee Sunday at Madison Square Garden was hardly anything like what they encountered in their season opener Friday night. There was no pregame speech from Carmelo Anthony to the home crowd, no emotional rush with the opening tip-off and no sign of the defending champion Miami Heat, as there was on Friday. Instead, the Philadelphia 76ers, who finished a game back of the Knicks in the Atlantic Division last season, were at the Garden for the noon game. Although it would not look as impressive, Mike Woodson knew a victory against the 76ers would be just as important. The Knicks withstood every push from the 76ers in the second half to secure a 100-84 victory and start a season 2-0 for the first time in 13 years. Their performance had all the elements Woodson wanted: solid defense, ball movement and offensive production from the reserves. Though it is early, the Knicks have demonstrated a formula for success. "Our blueprint is to play defense, move the ball to the open man and keep playing hard," said J. R. Smith, who had 20 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. We have confidence in each other. Woodson said he thought a large amount of the team's success so far was because of its defense. The players agreed. In the locker room after the game, the number 84 - Philadelphia's point total - was written and circled on a whiteboard, a reminder that for the second straight game, the Knicks hit their target of holding their opponent to less than 90 points. They managed Sunday's effort with Tyson Chandler, last season's defensive player of the year, limited to 20 minutes because of flulike symptoms. The Knicks have forced both their games to be played in the half court. Woodson wanted to make sure his team had the right balance of going for offensive rebounds without being beaten in transition. The Knicks were successful in staying close with the 76ers in rebounding, with Philadelphia finishing with a 41-39 edge. They also held the 76ers to 2 points on fast breaks, a rarity in today's fast-paced game. "We're doing a great job of setting our defense from the beginning of the game and keeping it throughout," Raymond Felton said, before adding what made the Knicks" transition defense so strong: "The biggest thing is we're doing a great job of taking good shots within our offense to get back on defense. Nobody is going crazy and taking bad shots where it's surprising anyone. Anthony again led the Knicks in scoring, finishing with 27 points, and was one of the most active players on defense. He blocked two shots, created turnovers and even dived into the crowd hoping to save a loose ball. "I'm just trying to do little things to make this team better," Anthony said. Everybody in the world knows I can score. When my teammates see me out there doing the little things to help us win, they feed off that energy. Woodson said he expected the Knicks to fight with the 76ers for the division title and for playoff position in the Eastern Conference. For these reasons, his team could not afford to lose at home. The Knicks face the 76ers again on Monday, this time in Philadelphia. "Defense has to be our trademark this year," Woodson said before the game. If our defense can stay consistent, and we rebound the ball with most teams, we'll give ourselves an opportunity to win. For two games, the Knicks have been consistent. And for two games, the Knicks have been victorious. Mike Woodson stuck with the same starting lineup Sunday that he had for the opener. During the preseason, he had a different group of starters for each of the six exhibition games. ... Woodson said he did not plan to use Marcus Camby in Monday's game. He said he still wanted Camby, who had a left calf injury in the preseason, to be in more scrimmages and to have contact work before his first game. "I could play him," Woodson said. "But I'm hoping I don't have to play him." ...Philadelphia's Jason Richardson sustained a left ankle sprain in the first quarter. He did not return, and his status for Monday's game is questionable.