NBA

Knicks’ Melo worried about beating Celtics, not Garnett

Carmelo Anthony just wants a victory in Beantown — not Kevin Garnett’s scalp. That will be payback enough.

Melo isn’t trying to stir the KG pot as the rematch awaits tomorrow at TD Garden. Anthony and Garnett engaged in a vicious trash-talking war in the fourth quarter on Jan. 7 at the Garden and it spilled off the court when Anthony tried to attack Garnett in the tunnel and then later by the Celtics bus.

Sources say Anthony was attempting to send a message to Garnett that the Knicks aren’t going to back down from his serial — or cereal — trash-talking.

“I don’t care what message I sent to him,’’ Anthony said. “I just want to win. Do whatever it takes to win. Thursday’s definitely a big game for myself and us as a team to get us on the right track.’’

Anthony doesn’t want to revisit the incident after which the rumor circulated Garnett had told Anthony his wife, La La, “tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios.” The Celtics won the game and a distracted Anthony shot 6-of-26.

“We want to win,’’ Anthony said. “Do we owe them? Yes, they came here and beat us. We want to go there and return the favor on their court. We can’t get that game back. ‘’

Asked if the Garnett tiff is over, Anthony said, “Oh yeah. Honestly, it’s not even on my mind right now. It hasn’t been on my mind since that day.’’

It is not the NBA’s policy to forewarn teams before contests. But certainly David Stern will have his eye trained on Beantown tomorrow.

“It will be fun,’’ Anthony said. “It will be a hostile environment. I’m expecting that. It’ll be a fun game. Knowing what’s at stake, us playing Boston.

“As far as anything being left over, it’s a new game,’’ Anthony said.

Anthony has shot poorly in his last five games — since his heroic night in Orlando. Since that game, he is 48-of-123 — his quality of shots deteriorating, partly due to Raymond Felton’s absence.

“I almost have to [score more],’’ Anthony said. “We have to find scoring from somewhere. Until Ray comes back, we’ll continue to play the way we’re playing.’’

* J.R. Smith had a zinger directed on Twitter toward Kim Kardashian’s former husband, Kris Humphries, following Brooklyn’s win over the Knicks. Humphries started it by tweeting, “Big game tonight! The Garden got really quiet on the way out! #Brooklyn.” Smith retaliated: “Wasn’t quiet when Kanye tore it down last month!” Kanye West is now dating Kardashian. When The Post asked Smith if he responded because Humphries had rubbed it in, Smith said, “Not really. It just came to me.’’