There is nothing sweet or tasty about Carmelo Anthony and these Knicks now. The once vaunted, championship-contending Knicks are a depleted squad in full-blown crisis and their MVP candidate must lead them out of the morass.
Scattered boos resonated the Garden Friday night as Anthony’s return from a one-game suspension was sour in a 108-101 loss to the Bulls despite his late scoring rampage with the game well out of hand.
After a 1 of 11 start, he completed possibly his worst 39-point performance, shooting 14 of 32 with three turnovers. Anthony, who said he was feeling sick, bagged 29 of his points in the second half with the game out of hand.
The Knicks, who are starting to look their age, trailed by as many as 25 points and have lost three straight for the first time this season.
After missing Thursday’s game in Indiana because of a one-game suspension for a confrontation with Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Anthony disappointed the sold-out Garden crowd for most of the night — the controversy of the past few days perhaps on his mind.
“That’s behind me,’’ Anthony said. “That’s over with. Today was one of them days I was just trying to find the energy and find momentum going into the game — not having any energy and feeling a little under the weather.”
Anthony’s late surge prompted a light MVP chant in the final minute but Knicks fans know better. Anthony was befuddled for three quarters, looking rusty from sitting in his hotel room all day in Indianapolis on Thursday.
“I was just in the hotel watching the game, had to put it on the mute,’’ Anthony said. “People talking about things they don’t know.”
Anthony’s adversary last night was Luol Deng, however, not Garnett. Deng lit up Anthony for 33 points, as the Knicks star was slow getting through picks and contesting jumpers.
Anthony addressed the suspension for the first time Friday night.
“I was disappointed,” he said. “I didn’t think and believe it would be a suspension due to the facts. It’s over with. I can’t get that game back.’’
“There are just certain things that you don’t say that push the button,’’ Anthony said of Garnett’s comments.
Coach Mike Woodson’s buttons were pushed after this one. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, a defensive guru, has beaten the Knicks three straight times this season.
“We can point the fingers at a lot of things. First with me. I’m the coach I’ve got to get us out of this rut,’’ Woodson said. “I don’t like losing at home. That’s a problem to me. The way we’ve been losing at home we’ve been getting out-toughed. I don’t accept that and I don’t want our guys [to accept it].’’
J.R. Smith’s star also is fading after a nightmarish 13-point outing, in which he shot 4 of 17 from the field. Jason Kidd also struggled, going 0-fo-6 from the field, with no points and no assists. Both players did not speak to reporters after the game.
Even Steve Novak was riled up, taking a shot at ex-Knick Nate Robinson, who mimicked the Knicks’ 3-point ace. After the 5-foot-9 Robinson sank a jumper over Novak, he did the championship belt motion.
“It was heartwarming and flattering,’’ Novak said. “Some day little Nathan’s dreams will come true, and he can be like me.’’
Anthony had indicated there would be payback after the last Bulls loss.
“Everybody was saying the Knicks were going to get revenge for what happened last time… nah, nah, nah,’’ Chicago’s Joakim Noah said. “And we came back, held it down again.’’
The standings have gotten close in the Atlantic Division as the Nets closed to two games behind the Knicks. Boston is four games behind. The Knicks are 5-8 in their last 13 games, struggling without injured point guard Raymond Felton.
“We got off to a slow start and waited too long before fighting back,’’ said Amar’e Stoudemire, who had a low-impact five-point, one-rebound night.
The battered Knicks, who are 2-4 since Stoudemire’s return, are heading to London next week for their showcase game against the Pistons — if England is still willing to have them. And they need bodies, especially after it was announced Marcus Camby will be out 2-to-4 weeks with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
“They beat us three times, we’re not worried about Chicago at this point,’’ Anthony said. “We’ll see them when we see them.’’
marc.berman@nypost.com