Danilo Gallinari turned in his best performance of the preseason with 18 points and four boards. MSG Photos

After using the first five preseason games to mainly focus on getting in shape and improving themselves for the upcoming season, the Knicks treated Tuesday night’s contest against the Boston Celtics like any regular-season game. They were well-prepared for their opponent and stuck with a nine-man rotation as they defeated their Atlantic Division rival 108-103 at Madison Square Garden.     

“The intensity of the game felt more like a regular-season game for sure more than any other preseason game we’ve had,” said David Lee, who paced the Knicks with 19 points and 16 rebounds for his third straight double-double.   

The Knicks used a starting lineup of Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler in the backcourt and Al Harrington, David Lee and Jared Jeffries in the frontcourt. Danilo Gallinari, Nate Robinson, Toney Douglas and Darko Milicic were the only bench players to play.   

Robinson, who had started in the previous two games, led six Knicks in double figures with 21 points. Harrington, who last week sat out a game with a bruised left knee and came off the bench when he returned on Sunday against Maccabi Tel Aviv, scored 20.  

  “We showed some things that we can do,” said head coach Mike D’Antoni, who has used four different starting lineups this preseason. “I thought Nate did a terrific job, obviously, at the end of the game and in the big runs.”   

The speedy Robinson might not have started the game, but he was on the court in the closing minutes to help the Knicks seal their third victory of the preseason. And in D’Antoni’s tight rotation, it’s more about who finishes the game than who starts.   

“Normally a coach likes to have that kind of a game-changer coming off the bench,” D’Antoni said. “But at the same time I think Nate has been doing extremely well doing the things that we’ve asked him to do and I wouldn’t be opposed to him starting. I just want to do what’s best for the Knicks.”   

Gallinari is another player who could easily start for the Knicks but might be better suited coming off the bench for now, according to his coach.   

The second-year forward, who was limited to 28 games last season with a lingering back injury, had his best game of the preseason, scoring 18 points and pulling down four rebounds. He entered the night averaging a modest 7.0 points per game.   

“The guy's got a big heart and I think the bigger the lights, the bigger the stage, the better he will play,” D’Antoni said of Gallinari. “He does all of the things that you would worry about any rookie doing; be aggressive, think, play defense, understand the game. He’s got all that. He just rose to the occasion. It is just a matter of time before he consistently plays like he did tonight.”   

Although the rotation looked good and D’Antoni would like to have his starting five set before tomorrow’s preseason finale against the Nets, there won’t be anything set in stone until the regular-season opener in Miami on Oct. 28.   

“We’ll have five practices after that and a lot of things could change,” D’Antoni said. “But obviously this is one of the combinations that we might use on opening day.”