Carmelo Anthony put down 39 points en route to an overtime win over the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. And good thing. Because you can’t demand a trade to a team in your hometown, and then courageously lead them on a 7-game losing streak, right?

Boston came from behind and beat the Knicks in the Garden last night, 96-86. Many voices across the sports commentariat  are saying two things: 1) It was a playoff atmosphere.

Frank Isola covers the Knicks for the New York Daily News. The Knicks, with new acquisitions Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony, just went down to Miami and beat the Heat. Eyebrows are now raised across the Eastern Conference. Podcast of the conversation with Robert and Frank after the jump.

By all acounts, it was electric. Carmelo scores 27, the Knicks win, and New York basketball culture has a messiah. And good for them. New York loves its hoops, and it’s not right that they had to endure the past 11 years. After the jump, dig some video of Carmelo’s debut in blue and orange.

Nothing is confirmed. But the Knicks are a white-hot ticket tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. Why? Because, Carmelo. That’s why.

Also - and this is so au courant – Carmelo is now celebrated in sandwich.

The New York Knicks are the center of the sporting world today after their acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. Their coach, Mike D’Antoni, joined Robert and Billy Crystal in studio to talk about the big trade, and the future of the Knicks. Click through for a podcast of the conversation.

The below image is from the Denver Post. For all the ecstatic joy in New York, there is at least equivalent gnashing of the teeth in Colorado. Without Carmelo Anthony and fan-favorite and Denver-native Chauncey Billups, Nuggets fans find themselves seeking solace in the past. And that’s not a bad move. Because for Denver Nuggets fans, the present is a bummer, man.

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12 players and 3 draft choices will be traded between three teams in the deal that sends Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. Friend of the show Howard Beck has the entire breakdown in his story for the New York Times. The deal is pending NBA approval.

Now that the Carmelo drama is over, these questions remain:

A report in Newsday says the Knicks have made their final offer to trade for Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony. In a related story, the Knicks Blog on Newsday.com is called Knicks Fix, which is cute AND clever. So there’s that.

Howard Beck writes about the NBA for the New York Times. On the show with Robert today, Beck said Carmelo Anthony is overrated, and that Dwight Howard disappears in big moments. Provocative stuff! Listen to the podcast after the jump.