Blazers overcome Anthony's 45, spoil Amare's debut
Debutto stagionale per Stoudemire
On a night when Carmelo Anthony returned from a two-game absence and Amar'e Stoudemire made his season debut, the recent struggles at Madison Square Garden continued for the New York Knicks.
Nicolas Batum hit six 3-pointers and scored a team-high 26 points to lead four players in double figures as the Portland Trail Blazers led from beginning to end, led by as many as 19 and held off a late Knicks charge in a 105-100 win.
J.J. Hickson finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Rookie of the Year candidate Damian Lillard added 21 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Anthony, who missed the last two games with a hyperextended left knee, scored a game-high 45 points and shot 14-for-23 to pace the Knicks. J.R. Smith added 28 points off the bench.