NEW MAN: An increasingly aggressive Carmelo Anthony drives past Thaddeus Young during the Knicks’ 100-84 victory over the 76ers yesterday at the Garden. Anthony (inset) is helped out of the stands after leaping for a loose ball in the first quarter. (
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When Carmelo Anthony dove into the third row saving a loose ball in the first quarter after blocking Nick Young’s fastbreak drive, the Sixers should have known it was over.
Doug Collins’ crew should have realized it was time to take the next train back to Philadelphia, that there would be no Knicks letdown from Friday’s emotional win over the defending champion Heat.
Anthony and the Knicks were ready. Coming off their celebrated post-Hurricane Sandy, 104-84 rout of Miami, the Knicks rolled on by walloping the 76ers, 100-84, in Sunday’s sold-out Garden matinee.
There wasn’t the same emotion and electricity as Friday. But it was the same great, gritty defensive basketball, led by Anthony.
Inside the locker room, the only thing written on the greaseboard was: “84, 43 percent.’’
“Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships,’’ said fan favorite Rasheed Wallace, who won a ring with Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who was on Larry Brown’s coaching staff, in Detroit eight years ago.
Woodson’s Knicks are 2-0 — the first time they have been 2-0 since 1999-2000. Entering tonight’s rematch at Wachovia Center, the Knicks have trailed for 39 seconds this season.
Anthony, playing power forward in Amare Stoudemire’s extended absence, scored 27 points with five rebounds and two blocks. He also shot an efficient 10 of 18. Most of his points came off hard barrels to the hole in a matchup with Thaddeus Young.
For Knicks fans, it was a thing of beauty to see Anthony hustling to save a ball from going out of bounds, risking his body to set an example for his teammates.
“Watch out, man,’’ Anthony yelled as he came crashing into the seats.
“Just trying to lead the pack in other ways than scoring,’’ Anthony said. “I think when my teammates see me out there doing my thing they feed off that energy. They feed off that momentum.’’
Anthony said he wasn’t afraid of injury.
“No, I saw what I was diving at. I looked down and jumped there.’’
Anthony’s Olympic-gold experience as role player off the bench has given him a new mentality. He told a confidant he wants to be more Charles Barkley this season than Paul Pierce.
“I’m just trying to do the little things,’’ Anthony said. “Everybody in the world knows I can score the basketball with the best of them. To do something other than score, it makes us that much better.’’
Anthony has plenty of help now, too. After a shaky start that included two wild passes, J.R. Smith drained three straight 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to widen the Knicks lead to 86-69, delivering the knockout blow.
Smith, who played just one preseason game because of a sore Achilles, finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Jason Kidd, making some passes out of his Nets glory days, chipped in with 12 points and six assists.
Woodson said he yelled at Smith to start looking for his shot, and the streaky sixth man said it was the first time a coach had told him to shoot more, not less.
It also was the first time Knicks fans have seen Anthony dive into the crowd.
“It’s really contagious when you see the star player going out there diving into the crowd, giving up open shots, going for loose balls,’’ Smith said. “It really filters through all the team.’’
The Knicks shot 50.6 percent — again buoyed by snappy ball movement. Their three-headed point guard monster of Raymond Felton, Kidd and Pablo Prigioni is working. The Knicks drained 11 3-pointers after hitting 19 in the opener. The 76ers, without center Andrew Bynum indefinitely, will try to stop them tonight.
Anthony’s ability Sunday to post up and score is more confirmation power forward may be his best position in this small-ball era. If this success continues, Woodson might have to consider if it would be better for Stoudemire to come off the bench in his expected mid-December return.
Collins said Anthony in the low block was a challenge for his 76ers.
“It is so tough because they can go to Melo in the post, and if you double, you free up threes,” he said. “They are really tough to defend.’’
“I’m trying to be inside out, start down there, take advantage of the post,’’ Anthony said. “Just taking advantage of what the defense gives me.’’
Woodson said he started to see Anthony add other facts to his game late last season.
“I thought he was doing [little things] last year,’’ Woodson said. “His job is to block shots, take charges, get on the floor. Everybody has to do that for us to be a good team.’’