Anthony, Billups mark Knicks debut with win
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Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups celebrated their arrival in New York by helping the Knicks to a 114-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at an electric Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Anthony scored on a strong drive to the hoop that he finished with a slam dunk, and then hit a short jumper to give the Knicks some breathing room after Milwaukee pulled to 104-100 with a minute and half left in the game.
In their first game after coming to the Knicks in a nine-player deal with the Denver Nuggets, Anthony scored 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, while Billups had 21 points and dealt out eight assists. The Knicks improved to 29-26 with the victory while Milwaukee slipped to 22-35.
Bucks guard John Salmons led Milwaukee with 27 points.
"The fans were great tonight," said 26-year-old native New Yorker Anthony as the sold-out Garden crowd serenaded him with a chant of "Melo, Melo." "I love it. I'm home."
Anthony and Billups worked their magic without any practice with the team, having just arrived after the trade was hammered out following Sunday's All-Star game in Los Angeles.
They were greeted by an electric atmosphere, with Anthony igniting deafening roars when he was introduced first among the starters after a video salute to the strains of Skylar Grey crooning "Coming Home".
"It's been hectic, a rollercoaster," Anthony admitted. "The last two days have been crazy for me, working on no sleep. Getting the win tonight meant a lot to me."
Anthony, who shot a mediocre 10-of-25, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, stepping up after New York's Amare Stoudemire fouled out.
Stoudemire was impressed by his new front-court partner.
"He played great," said Stoudemire, who had 19 points. "He played Carmelo basketball. These guys haven't had a practice and didn't know the plays, they just played hard."
Also raising his game was back-up guard Toney Douglas, who sank 10-of-12 shots, including a trio from beyond the three-point line in posting 23 points.
Stoudemire, Anthony and Billups all stressed that the team needed to toughen their defense in order to become a championship contender.
Elsewhere, it was: Mavericks 118, Jazz 99; Spurs 109, Thunder 105; Kings 111, Magic 105; Suns 105, Hawks 97; Hornets 98, Clippers 87; 76ers 117, Wizards 94; Raptors 118, Bulls 113; Pacers 102, Pistons 101; Rockets 124, Cavaliers 119; Grizzlies 104, Timberwolves 95; Lakers 106, Trail Blazers 101, OT.
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