New York Knicks: 20 greatest performances at Madison Square Garden

15. Carmelo Anthony, 43 points: Apr. 8, 2012

The recent perception of Carmelo Anthony has him on the decline, or Knicks fans will look at the massive contract former president of basketball operations Phil Jackson gave him in 2014. A public spat followed, and the inevitable trade happened under a new regime.

However once upon a time, Anthony was beloved in this 2011-14 stretch for the Knicks. In the heart of it, was a 43-point performance on Easter Sunday 2012 that provided his first beloved moment at Madison Square Garden.

The former face of the franchise exploded for his high-point mark as a Knick, as of Apr. 8, 2012. It happened on 31 shots, with just five of them from 3-point range. This happened before the 3-point age, so his mid-range jumpers were nothing to scoff at.

Anthony capitalized on this dominant performance in a late-game scenario against the Chicago Bulls. A 3-pointer at 11.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter and five overtime points helped secure a win for New York, despite no Amar’e Stoudemire and a poor shooting night from the rest of the team.

“It was mine tonight, or today,” Anthony told The New York Daily News after the game. “It was just, they was talking some trash out there a little bit, in the moment.”

Nights like this became usual as Anthony took over the Knicks in the ensuing seasons, but for one night, he rocked the Mecca.