New York, NY (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony scored 22 of his 30 points in
the first quarter before leaving with a sprained left ankle, as New York
jumped out early and staved off every Los Angeles charge in a 116-107 victory
at Madison Square Garden.
Anthony was a scoring machine, shooting over and driving through a porous
Lakers defense, pushing the Knicks to a substantial first-quarter lead. He
didn't do it all alone, as Raymond Felton added 19 points and eight assists,
while Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith each donated 18 points.
The game was fitting of two teams going in different directions. The Knicks
posted their third straight win and eighth in the last nine games, improving
to 9-0 at home this season, while the Lakers lost their fourth straight.
Kobe Bryant led the way with 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while
Dwight Howard recorded 20 points and seven rebounds and Metta World Peace
filled the stat sheet with 23 points and six boards.
The Sports Network