Making his New York Knicks debut, Brooklyn native Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points in a 114 - 108 win vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. In what was a poor shooting night, going just 10 for 25 from the floor, Anthony scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter, including a running jumper to seal the game with 26 seconds to play, and had ten key rebounds in the game earning him a double - double for the night.
Amare' Stoudemire had a very efficient 19 points on thirteen shots. Many were concerned with the chemistry that having two major superstar scorers would do to the Knicks team, but in the early going, after one game, it appears that the two can work together well and perhaps even fluidly moving forward over the next 27 games in the regular season while the Knicks attempt to climb up out of the six seed in the standings to secure home-court in the playoffs.
Lost in the buzz of Carmelo's homecoming to New York was the fact that Chauncey Billups, a star in his own right, was also a part of the deal that sent 'Melo to the Knicks. Billups had an instrumental 21 points and without his presence, Carmelo and Amare' would not have had a lot of the good looks that they had at the basket throughout the game. Billups should be as key an addition to the Knicks as Carmelo Anthony as Anthony's success is somewhat interdependent on the ability of Billups to deliver him the ball as the team's point guard.
Carmelo's next challenge will be to tackle the 10 - 47 Cleveland Cavaliers. A team that has become the overnight doormat of the NBA since the departure of superstar LeBron James to the Miami Heat. Look for Amare' and Carmelo(and Chauncey) to get into a groove against that weak opposition.
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