By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — Any doubts Carmelo Anthony had about playing under the bright lights of New York City were quickly erased.
Anthony was given a rousing standing ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd before going out and scoring 27 points to lead New York to a 114-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in his Knicks debut on Wednesday night.
"I never experienced anything like that before," Anthony said, the Associated Press reported. "That was a hell of a moment for the fans to react the way they did."
Anthony, who shot 10-for-25 from the field, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a poor shooting night.
"This was ordinary for him, and that’s the highest compliment of what he does. You drop him in any place, any playground, any place in the world and he’ll put up 27 points and 10 rebounds," Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni told the AP. "That’s what he does for a living."
The new-look Knicks had very little practice time before the game and looked out of sorts at times on the court. However, New York got a huge lift from point guard Toney Douglas who came off the bench to score 23 points on 10-for-12 shooting.
Point guard Chauncey Billups, who came with Anthony from Denver in Tuesday’s 12-player trade, finished with 21 points and eight assists. Billups shot only 4-of-12 from the floor, but he made all 12 of his free throws. Amar'e Stoudemire added 19 before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Anthony, 26, took over offensively after Stoudemire fouled out. Anthony's 27 points were just two shy of a record for a player in his Knicks debut.
"We needed that offensive threat out there when I’m not on the court, and he’s definitely that," Stoudemire told the AP.
