Garden crowd is falling hard for Carmelo
Carmelo Anthony has had many big nights as a Knick. But he had a significant New York moment Thursday night after his hard drive led to a hard foul and even harder fall.
The Garden first made a collective "oh, no" sound of concern. Then a hush came over the crowd. There might even have been some hands clasped together and prayers said. Finally, the fans tried lifting Anthony from the floor with a loud "M-V-P" chant.
Anthony is the most irreplaceable player on this team that has big goals and has its fans dreaming of a parade. He basically has been since his arrival. But a little less than a year ago, Anthony was booed in the same building in which he was revered the other night.
Last season, it was predetermined that Anthony's return from injury would spoil the good thing the Knicks had going with Jeremy Lin. Anthony was cast as the villain for putting an end to Linsanity. In fact, Anthony, for the most part, was blamed for all the Knicks' failings and shortcomings from the time he put on the uniform.
Another now-beloved Knick who happened to be there Thursday carried that burden for many years -- Patrick Ewing. He was shown on the big screen and received a standing ovation.
You win in the NBA with stars, and right now, Anthony is one of the brightest. And now he's being appreciated as such by Knicks fans.
Lin, who will make his Garden return tomorrow, was a tremendous story. It was the kind to tell your kids about following their dreams and never giving up.
Lin deserved all the attention he got. Here's hoping he continues being a beacon of hope for people. But the Knicks made the right move for them by not matching Houston's three-year, $25.1-million offer.
The Knicks were committed to trying to make it work with Lin, but it might not have. This win-now team and win-now coach needed more established point guards. Having Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd run the team has been a huge factor in the Knicks' and Anthony's success.
And believe this: If it didn't work with Lin, there would have been fingers pointed -- some at Anthony. There would have been tension. It would have been like last season.
Now Anthony is being anointed the MVP. It's very early, but it's better to be in that conversation than not. It means you're playing at a ridiculous level and so is your team.
Anthony has forged his way to that point by doing more than score. He's leading by hustling, defending, giving up shots to his teammates and trusting them more.
George Karl, his former coach with the Nuggets, always said Anthony needed to get to this point, and he is happy that he has.
"Absolutely," Karl said. "I've said I feel Melo is going to win a championship someday. He's going to figure out scoreboard numbers aren't important. It's the team scoreboard and intangibles in a game that make winners champions."
There's a long way to go, but Anthony seems to have gotten it. Some more significant New York moments could be on the way for the Knicks and their star.
