Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points before leaving with a sprained left ankle to help the New York Knicks to a 116-107 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anthony scored 22 points in the first quarter as the Knicks seized a 41-27 lead, which they stretched to 68-49 by half time on the way to remaining unbeaten after nine home games, improving to 17-5.
Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and passed out six assists for the Lakers, who suffered their fourth loss in a row and fell to 9-14.
Anthony suffered a hard fall about halfway into the third quarter and was escorted to the locker room. He did not return to the game but the Knicks were more than enough to hold off the Lakers to the finish.
Raymond Felton scored 19 points and added a game-high eight assists for the Knicks while Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith each netted 18 points as New York won for the third time in a row and eighth time in the past nine games.
Dwight Howard added 20 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers while Metta World Peace contributed 23 points and six rebounds.
The game marked a return to Madison Square Garden for Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni, who resigned as coach of the Knicks last March.
Anthony leads Knicks to Lakers win, sprains ankle
