NEW YORK -- Maybe there's a big-name coach out there who can bring out the best in Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks.

Mike D'Antoni decided Wednesday he wasn't that guy. And so, he resigned, surprising even his bosses.

"It wasn't just Carmelo," interim general manager Glen Grunwald said. "I think it was our whole team not playing up to where we thought they could be and I know Mike was as frustrated as anyone about that and that's what led him to that decision, that maybe there needs to be a new approach and look at it."

Assistant Mike Woodson was promoted to interim head coach and led the Knicks to a 121-79 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

"I think everyone for the most part was obviously very emotional when we came, but we sat down and said, 'Look, this is where we want to go. This is how we feel like we need to get there,' " Jeremy Lin said. "So we came out with more energy than we have in a long time."

The Knicks' brief resurgence in a wave of Linsanity last month had been replaced by a six-game losing streak that dropped the Knicks into a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, along with speculation of friction between D'Antoni and his All-Star forward.

Anthony denied it and said there was no "bad blood" between himself and the coach.

"As far as that, it is what it is when it comes to that," Anthony said. "That's something I can't control as far as the blame being put on me. I don't sit here and complain about that."

D'Antoni informed Grunwald before the Wednesday morning shootaround that he was thinking about stepping down.

"I was surprised. ... I said, 'What do you really want to do, Mike?' And he clarified that he thought it was best for the team," Grunwald said.

Grunwald called MSG chairman James Dolan, who went to the Westchester training center for what he called a "very honest" conversation with D'Antoni. He later said the parting was mutual.

"He clearly felt it was best for the organization if he were not to continue as coach of the team. He did offer to stay," Dolan said during a news conference. "After a long discussion, we did agree it was best for the organization to have new voice moving forward."

Dolan and assistant general manager Allan Houston arrived at the team's training center after the shootaround to speak with Grunwald and D'Antoni.

Grunwald called D'Antoni's decision to step down "a selfless move."

"I think he felt that he had done all he could and he didn't really see another way for him to really positively affect the team," Grunwald said, adding, "He felt that maybe it was time for another voice, another approach."

Assistant coaches Phil Webber and Dan D'Antoni, Mike D'Antoni's older brother, also stepped down.

Dolan made it clear he believes in the players and still expects a playoff berth. D'Antoni said before the season the Knicks should be a contender, but they haven't looked like one in the previous 10 games, going 2-8 before Wednesday night's win -- all since Anthony returned from a groin injury.

D'Antoni wasn't the only one who couldn't figure out why the Knicks couldn't win with their best player.

"It's hard to explain why we have struggled, and I don't really don't want to get too deep on that," Woodson said. "I think what's more important is that we move forward."

A message was left with D'Antoni seeking comment.

D'Antoni seemed upbeat after the morning practice and gave no indication of his plans. Asked the last thing he said to players, rookie Iman Shumpert said: "Well, this morning it was, 'See you tonight.' So like I said, it's a shock to us."

Anthony said after the shootaround he supported the coach "100 percent," denying a New York Post report that he would like a trade before Thursday's 3 p.m. deadline. The report also said Anthony was unhappy in part because he believed D'Antoni and Grunwald do not trust him.

D'Antoni acknowledged the media frenzy around the sinking club but believed the Knicks would handle it.

"You battle against it. I think we're cohesive enough to battle through this, and we expect to do that," he said.

His departure comes less than a month after he seemed rejuvenated by the emergence of Lin, the undrafted point guard from Harvard who came off the bench and proved to be the player who could properly run his offensive system.