New York Knicks: 20 greatest performances at Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 24: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks acknowledges the crowd as he leaves a game against the Charlotte Bobcats after scoring his team record 62nd point at Madison Square Garden on January 24, 2014 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Bobcats 125-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan (Photo by Andy Hayt/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Michael Jordan, 55 points: Mar. 28, 1995

From 1984 to 1993, Michael Jordan ruled basketball. It took him until age 27 to finally win that illustrious championship. Then a second. Then a third.

After the 1993 NBA Finals, Jordan walked away from the sport to play baseball for the Chicago White Sox’s minor league system. It didn’t work out in a year-plus, and the Knicks actually benefited with a trip to the 1994 NBA Finals in Jordan’s extended absence from the game.

In the second half of the 1994-95 season, “His Airness” returned to the hardwood for another go-around with the Chicago Bulls. The overall stats weren’t Jordan-esque at a career-low 41.1 percent shooting in 17 games, but that didn’t matter with what he did to New York on Mar. 28, 1995.

Now known as the “Double Nickel” game, Jordan obliterated Patrick Ewing and company for 55 points on 21-for-37 shooting at Madison Square Garden. It was the performance that brought arguably the game’s greatest player of all time “back,” since two of his first four games were duds.

Tha talent returned to Jordan in one night, à la the Monstars in Space Jam. He still found some difficulties in the rest of the 1995 part of that season, but by the time the playoffs arrived, there was no longer a thought.

Jordan’s 55 points goes down as the most memorable performance of any non-Knick. Who to wear the blue and orange has this title though?