Melo gets Knicks, MSG top rating since MJ
Carmelo Anthony reacts during the Knicks' win over Milwaukee in his New York debut. (Feb. 23, 2011) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
Carmelo Anthony's Knicks debut Wednesday averaged 6.75 percent of homes in the New York area, MSG's highest-rated regular-season Knicks game in 16 years.
It narrowly missed surpassing Michael Jordan's famous "Double Nickel" game, which averaged 6.78 percent on March 28, 1995.
Jordan scored 55 points in a 113-111 Bulls victory in his first visit to the Garden after his initial retirement.
Wednesday's rating peaked at 8.2 from 10 to 10:15 p.m., when Anthony took over in the final minutes to secure the Knicks' victory. Average viewership for the game was 632,470.
Knicks games on MSG are averaging 1.62 percent of homes, up 60 percent from this point last year. Ratings among men ages 18-34 are up 147 percent.
