From a fan’s standpoint, I’m hoping the Knicks and Celtics duplicate the kind of intensity they showed in the preseason when they collided at Madison Square Garden.

And then I hope somebody gets knocked down.

It would be great to see a lot of jawing and pointing. No fists, please. Let the animosity build over three upcoming matchups, then bring it all together for a showdown in the playoffs.

How cool would that be?

There’s a lot of wishful thinking in there, but the NBA could use a rebirth of the Knicks-Celtics rivalry. And it takes more than geography to make it work. A solid rivalry needs a little postseason history, so the Knicks better pick up the pace.

I loved what Quentin Richardson threw out there yesterday after practice.

“We’re not in awe of them,” he said. “They ain’t won no championships.”

Now he’s got to chase Paul Pierce around tonight and make the words stick. I doubt Kevin Garnett or anybody in a Celtics uniform is quivering over the Knicks coming in for a visit with a two-game winning streak in tow.

This isn’t a team known for handling prosperity with care.

Here’s a couple of things I think need to happen if the Knicks are going to be close down the stretch:

1. Eddy Curry has to have a big game against Kendrick Perkins, who didn’t play in that final preseason game. It would also help if Curry blocked a couple of shots, because Rajon Rondo, Pierce and Garnett will get to the rim. Curry seems to have a little more interest defensively. “If that happens for us, then I think we take another step in this league,” Isiah Thomas said. “Particularly in the East, if he can control the paint the way he controlled it the other night defensively, that definitely puts us at another level.”


2. Ray Allen has to be met with brute force. I wouldn’t change the starting lineup, but I wouldn’t hesitate making a quick substitution to match up Richardson with Allen in the backcourt. Jared Jeffries and Renaldo Balkman can stay within a step of Pierce up front. The score has to stay in the 90s, and when Allen gets 20 points the Celtics are destined for triple digits.


3. Zach Randolph needs at least a dozen boards. He needs to spend the night boxing out Boston and preventing second chances. Add maybe 14 or 15 points and it’s a great night for him.


4. Jamal Crawford must fill in the blanks. If the Knicks are getting production elsewhere he needs to keep feeding the obvious sources to make sure the offense flows. If they are struggling, he needs to get involved first by attacking the basket and then by dropping in from long range. And it wouldn’t hurt to come up with a couple of steals to keep runs intact.