How it Happened
The Knicks rose to the occasion on Super Bowl Sunday at the Garden, beating the Lakers by almost two touchdowns, 92-80.
New York started fast, jumping out to a 32-19 lead by the end of the first quarter behind nine points from Jason Smith. The Knicks' bench struggled to generate offense in the second quarter, but they still held the Lakers to 20 points and took a comfortable 47-39 lead into halftime.
From there, Carmelo Anthony took charge.
Anthony pumped in 18 of his game-high 31 points in the 3rd quarter, helping Derek Fisher's squad coast to the victory. As a team, the Knicks shot 44 percent from the field, and even better -- 45.5 percent -- from downtown. Langston Galloway added 13 points and five rebounds.
Knick of the Night
Anthony was in attack mode all game against the undermatched Lakers. He put the ball on the floor and got the the hoop, while making 2 of 4 threes as the L.A. defense gave him space. He even threw down a powerful one-handed alley-oop from Lou Amundson and converted an athletic finish on a fastbreak.
Game Notes
Amar'e Stoudemire (ankle), Cole Aldrich (shin) and Travis Wear (hip) did not dress. MSG's Alan Hahn reported that the Knicks held a 20-point lead in the game for only the third time this season. It's been 34 games since it happened last.
Next Up
On Tuesday, the Celtics make their first trip to Madison Square Garden this season. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. on MSG.