TONGUE SANDWICH: Carmelo Anthony reacts after scoring a basket in the first half of last night’s 104-95 win over the Nets, who were without Deron Williams (above) for the second straight game. (AP)
TONGUE SANDWICH: Carmelo Anthony reacts after scoring a basket in the first half of last night’s 104-95 win over the Nets, who were without Deron Williams (left) for the second straight game. (Paul J. Bereswill; AP)
The Knicks will miss this place.
Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks ransacked and pillaged the sold-out Prudential Center last night with virtually all of the 18,711 fans reveling in the Knicks’ wire-to-wire 104-95 romp over the Nets in their last visit to Jersey.
It better be different in Brooklyn next season.
Anthony, who nearly became a Net last season, scorched Newark early, racking up 21 points in the first quarter and finished with 33 amid “MVP” and “Me-lo’’ chants across the Hudson River. In making the Nets look like Jersey Turnpike roadkill, The Knicks (33-29) moved 3 1/2 games ahead of the ninth-place Bucks and they can clinch a playoff berth with one more victory.
“On the road, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time,’’ Anthony said. “It was nice to see all those Knicks jerseys in the stands. It was a great Knicks atmosphere tonight.’’
Nearly 95 percent of the crowd were Knicks supporters and rose out of their seats to roar after every Anthony 3-pointer. He was 5 of 5 in the first half.
“I thought I was at the Garden,’’ Jersey native J.R. Smith said. “I was looking for Spike Lee.’’
The Knicks lead the Sixers for the seventh seed by 1 1/2 games with four games to play and will line up with Miami in Round 1 if the standings don’t change. The Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title last night with a win over Orlando. The Knicks can finish with the same record, but Boston owns the second tiebreaker with a better conference record (the two teams split the season series).
Last night’s win was likely their last without Amar’e Stoudemire, who is expected to return tomorrow in Cleveland after missing 13 straight games. The Knicks were 9-4 in his absence and Anthony has averaged 31 points since he became the starting power forward. Chemistry could be an issue from here on in.
Anthony hit for 15 of the Knicks’ first 24 points last night. He finished the first quarter with 21 points in 12 minutes, making 8 of 10 buckets and drilling all four of his 3-point attempts.
“I haven’t felt like this in a while,’’ said Anthony, whose season turned around under interim coach Mike Woodson’s direction. “Everything is clear. I have a lot of clarity right now.
“My shot was falling, especially in the first quarter,’’ Anthony added. “Everything just fell into place.’’
Anthony’s back-to back 3-pointers midway through the first quarter put the Knicks up 24-11 as Prudential Center was a sea of noise. After Anthony knocked in the second 3-pointer from Jersey City, he ran downcourt with his tongue hanging out. There was a brief “MVP” chant in the first as the Knicks ended the quarter with a 38-22 lead and 64-47 bulge at halftime. When Anthony stepped to the free-throw line with 4:22 left, the “MVP’’chant resounded.
“He’s playing unbelievable,’’ Tyson Chandler said. “He’s playing if not the best, one of the best basketball in the league right now.’’
None of this could have sat well with Nets superstar Deron Williams, who sat out with a sore calf. He was fastened to the bench, bespectacled and in gray blazer, stone-faced during the first-quarter rout. Williams wants to go through the free-agent process in July and last night’s show of devotion toward the Knicks must have been hard to take.
After drilling 19 3-pointers vs. Boston Thursday, the Knicks racked up 9 of 17 in the first half. Anthony was 5 of 5 — finishing with 27 points in the half.
“Our offense has been flowing pretty nicely the last couple of games,’’ Woodson said.
Anthony was all over the place. He hustled downcourt and blocked a fastbreak layup by Sundiata Gaines in the second quarter.
“That’s what we need from him, with STAT out, [Jeremy] Lin out, Baron out,’’ Smith said.
The Knicks didn’t miss a beat despite starting point guard Baron Davis missing the game with a stomach virus. Veteran Mike Bibby started in his place and had 8 points and 8 assists.
The Nets closed to within five points late in the third. But the Knicks built the lead back up as Steve Novak drilled a big 3-pointer in the final seconds of the quarter to boost the Knicks to a 81-71 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Smith, who scored 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, hit a step-back jumper for a 88-78 lead and Novak punished the Nets further with a 3-pointer from the corner to put them up 91-78 with 7:24 left.
Asked before the game if he will miss the trip to New Jersey, Anthony said, “No.’’
The Nets won’t either.