WATCH VIDEO - NEW YORK KNICKS CHASE BLUE CARPET

In celebration of the reconstructed Madison Square Garden and to tip-off the 2013-14 NBA season, the New York Knicks held the Blue Carpet Event presented by Chase Bank.

Knicks' legends, professional boxers, and many more stars filled the Chase Blue Carpet as they entered the revamped arena for the Knicks' home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Blue Carpet celebrants, as well as, fans weighed in on their prospects for the Knicks' 2013-14 season.

Former Knicks players, Larry Johnson, John Wallace, and John Starks, as well as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, Damaris Lewis, believe the versatility and attitude of newly acquired players, Andrea Bargnani and Metta World Peace, along with the strong qualities of rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., are fitting additions to the championship caliber team.

Former professional heavyweight boxer, Gerry Cooney, gushed over the beauty of the new MSG interior, in particular, the spacious Chase Bank Seventh Avenue entrance lobby filled with memorabilia and two 600-square-foot screens on the ceiling. Wallace and others raved over the transformed arena and phenomenal view from the Chase Bridges, which contain glass walls to provide a clear view of the court. The Chase Bridges seat up to 430 fans and are accompanied by a total of six scoreboard monitors. Finally, not to be forgotten, there was endless praise over the newly installed HD scoreboard above center court with mini scoreboards embedded underneath for players and fans to view conveniently from courtside and the lower bowl.

After three years and $1 billion worth of renovations, MSG has heightened the experience of what is known as "The Mecca" to an unprecedented level. Let's see if the metamorphic arena will reflect in a highly successful season for the Knicks.

Videography: Alexis Williams

Matinee games and the Knicks have been going together like those hideous orange uniforms they have displayed having lost all previous 6 games. So it was interesting (especially coming off their last 2 games) to see how they would fare against the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday afternoon at the World Most Famous or some would say "infamous" Arena.

With the heat mounting on head coach Mike Woodson and injuries to Raymond Felton, Kenyon Martin and Pablo Prigioni, Woodson elected to go with his bigs in the starting line-up, Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani against the smaller Grizzlies. The strategy backfired as Memphis jumped out to a quick 17-8 lead after a Mike Conley short jumper. New York managed to right themselves going on a 14 to 8 run cutting the deficit to two points (25-22) at the end of the first period.

Tim Hardaway, Jr got the crowd into the game with a vicious dunk after a Carmelo Anthony steal giving the Knicks a 3-point (28-25) lead that would not last long. In the blink of an eye, the Grizzlies outscored the Knicks 25 to 12 taking a 10 point (50-40) halftime lead. Ex-Knick Zach Randolph 11 and Tony Allen 13 points leading the way. Meanwhile, the Knicks shooting was atrocious. They attempted 10 three-pointers missing 9. Anthony misses 6 of his first 10 shots, Bargnani 4 out of 5 and Iman Shumpert missed all four of his.

It went from bad to worse in the third period even though New York was only outscored by 1 point (22-21). Jammal Franklin, the latest guard the Knicks made look like an all-star, goes in for an uncontested lay-up pushing the lead to 14 (72-58). Memphis, crushing them on the boards out rebounded them 44-23. Seventeen second chance points and a whopping 11 to 4 in offensive rebounds. The final results would be even more horrific.

Down by 12 to begin the final period, the Grizzlies went up by as many as 19 (85-66) with more than five minutes to go. Boos raining down from the frustrated crowd. The Knicks frantic comeback was started by a Hardaway, Jr 3-point bomb and when Anthony finishes a lay-up, the lead dwindled to 10 (85-75) getting the crowd back into the game. But just like all game and all season, the defense that defined the team last year, could not get stops when needed.

New York managed to get the lead down to four points (91-87) after Chandler converts free throws with 25.6 left. It would be the last points of the game for them as the Knicks lost for the 10th time at home. The big line-up was anything but as Memphis outscored New York 60 to 28 in the paint and out-rebounded them by an astounding 56 to 29. Something Woodson was not pleased with.

"That is embarrassing especially when you start a big lineup," Woodson said.

He called out players he felt were responsible.

"Tyson, Bargnani, Melo have to rebound the ball better and we have to do it as a unit. We could not keep them out of the paint and that was a problem."

The loss dropped their record to 8 and 18 and they are quickly becoming an afterthought in a division that can be taken by anybody.

"I take pride in trying to win games at home" continued Woodson. "That was the whole beauty the last two years. We have been slow in that area and that has put us in a hole. If we won half of our home games we would be sitting at the top of our division the way it is playing out. We have to put a string of wins on the road. That is the only way we can get out this hole."

If the New York Knicks keep losing, be it at home or on the road, Woodson may not be around if they do climb out.

Maybe the ill-fated New York Knicks needed the Toronto Raptors to get their season straightened out. You look at the Knicks 9 and 19 record and say the season is lost. But then you see that the Raptors are only 3 games ahead of them in the Atlantic division. With back-to-back games against Toronto, New York could conceivably be 1 game out of first place by Sunday.

After getting embarrassed on Christmas Day without their leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks did something they have lacked all year. They came out of the gate strong. Tim Hardaway, Jr (who should be getting more playing time with Raymond Felton on the shelf again) nailed a 3-pointer to give the Knicks an early 9-4 lead. It would be the start of a long-range barrage, something they utilized successfully last year.

Andre Bargnani, much maligned for his poor shot selection and on court decisions, added to the 3-point party, extending the Knicks' lead to 20-12. Amar'e Stoudemire continued his stellar play off the bench with 5 points as New York took a 25-18 first-period lead. The defense, which has been non-existent all season, allowed the Knicks to take a 10-point lead (30-20) after another Hardaway 3-ball. They would go back and forth for the rest of the second period and suddenly Toronto took the lead 37-36 after a Terrance Ross basket.

Missing Anthony for the second game in a row, the Knicks needed consistent scoring from all. They got it from Beno Udrih (7 points) and 6 more from Hardaway giving them a 10-point lead (64-54). Then it was Deja vu as the New York fans began to see what they have seen all too often at home and on the road this year. They would fall apart as Toronto cut the lead to 5 (71-65) to close the third period.

The New York Knicks took 19 shots in the last period and made only five. Meanwhile, Toronto, without two ex-Knicks Landry Fields and Steve Novak (who had every reason to come back and haunt them) were outpaced by five players scoring in double figures, led by DeMar DeRozan with 25 points. Adding to that, Jonas Valanciunas' 16 points and 18 rebounds put the dagger in the Knicks having them fall to 4 and 12 at home.

"I thought we had good shots. We had some good looks," said head coach Mike Woodson. "We just didn't make shots."

He then talked about playing guys extended minutes due to the absence of Anthony.

"I played guys on long stretches based on the fact we were short-handed. They got us a lead. I'm not using excuses. I thought maybe the legs, maybe set in at the end and shots just were not falling."

What is falling is their season right in front of them. They had a chance to make a move with a rare win on their home court giving them an opportunity to get closer on the road Saturday night. It's not even the halfway point of the season. If they keep going in this direction, they will be right up there with the Nets, Yankees, Mets, Giants, and the same old Jets.

Carmelo Anthony surpasses Kobe Bryant and Bernard King finishing the night with a Madison Square Garden 62-point pro basketball scoring record

As if the New York Knicks didn't have enough problems both on and off the court. In losing their 5th straight game Wednesday night (3rd in a row at home) during this 8 eight game home-stand, they found out that Andrea Bargnani would be out indefinitely after tearing a ligament in his left elbow during an ill-fated dunk attempt against Philadelphia. Additionally, there had been reports of bickering between the players and head coach Mike Woodson during the losing streak that began after getting routed by the Brooklyn Nets in their annual Martin Luther King Day matinee game.

Even the jovial Carmelo Anthony did not have his usual wide smile on his face during pre-game warm-ups. Also, there was none of the usual joking with the opposing team and engaging with the stars sitting in their high-priced courtside seats. Not tonight. Melo had a focused, stone cold face prior to tip-off motivated by a pre-game video courtesy of his childhood idol Muhammad Ali.

So when they faced the Charlotte Bobcats without Kemba Walker, New York had a chance to stop the losing streak and see how they would adjust without the player they brought here to help the offense.

Woodson decided to go with a small line-up starting three guards in Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni along with Iman Shumpert. Carmelo Anthony, at the power forward spot, hit 8 of his first 10 shots (18 points) getting the Knicks out to a 30-21 first quarter lead.

It was the most points any Knick has scored in a single quarter this year. It was just a start of big things to come for the Syracuse alumni.

If there had been one constant during the losing streak, it has been the Knicks inability to make the defensive switch allowing the opposition open looks from 3 point range. That aspect reared its ugly head in the second quarter when Jennaro Pargo came off the bench to nail 3 straight 3-pointers cutting the Knicks lead (38-34) to four points. But Carmelo, who didn't sit until after the 4-minute mark of the second quarter, showed why talks of trading him are outright ludicrous. He finished the half scoring 37 points (most of any player in the NBA this season for a half) and brought the sellout crowd to their feet draining a half-court 3-pointer as the buzzer went off.

Said Anthony of the shot, "when I made the shot, at the half, I told myself the zone was there."

New York went into the locker room with a commanding 67-46 lead. Lost in the Melo madness was little-used Jeremy Tyler who also had the crowd screaming with 2 dunks. The first off a missed shot and the second on an alley-oop from J.R. Smith.

It would only get better for the torrid Melo in the third quarter. Connecting on 7 of 9 shots lifted his game total to 56 effectively taking out the Bobcats all by himself. The only thing left for him to accomplish was setting the record for most points scored at the World's Most Famous Arena. Mission accomplished.

Carmelo Anthony surpassed both Kobe Bryant and Bernard King finishing his night with a bank shot at the 7:32 mark for his 62nd point as the desperate Knicks needed a win as badly as New Yorkers need warmer weather.

Naturally, after the 125-96 win, the talk was all about Carmelo Anthony and his record-setting night.

Said Woodson, "he was shooting so easy and making just shot's all over the place."

It wasn't the first time Woodson has seen Anthony as locked in as he was. "I've been in that position a few times in the last two years with Melo where's he's got on a nice roll early. I was probably the one that cooled him off. This time I just elected to let him go."

Carmelo Anthony walked to his locker accompanied by his young son, not looking like he scored 62 points in only 38 minutes. He didn't miss a free throw (10-10) and hit 6 of 11 three-pointers. The night still felt like a dream.

"It really didn't sink in yet," Melo started. "It still feels surreal to me. The way we played came within the realm of the game, the flow of the game. It really hasn't sunk in yet."

"Coming into the game I had a different kind of focus. Guys were asking me what was wrong before the game. There was nothing really wrong. It was just for some reason I was just locked in from the beginning of the game," he continued.

Melo was thrilled to give Knicks' fans something to be excited about, particularly after all the losses-- setting a scoring record at Madison Square Garden and getting a win--- the atmosphere in the arena was electric.

"There's no better feeling than having that feeling like tonight here on your home court. The fans, I haven't heard them like that since last year. It was good to get that feeling back."

Scoring 62 points and setting the record for most points scored by anyone at the World's Most Famous Arena will get that kind of reaction.

Watch Video: Fans Talk About Charles Oakley's Ejection from Madison Square Garden by Knicks Owner Jim Dolan

In this video, NY Knicks fans weigh in on the former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley and NY Knicks owner Jim Dolan fiasco.

On February 8, 2017, during a New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Clippers game at Madison Square Garden, NY Knicks owner Jim Dolan ordered Madison Square Garden security to eject Oakley from the arena.

From Oakley's radio interviews after he was tossed from The Garden, there appears to be a long-running dispute between former New York Knicks player and the Knicks owner, but no one seems to know why.

What's in dispute is was Charles Oakley behaving badly before security arrived as Dolan stated or, was Oakley's belligerent behavior caught on videotape was as a result of the way MSG security approached him to have him removed from the arena. Oakley was eventually ejected from the Madison Square Garden and arrested by NYPD.

Most NY Knicks fans find it hard to believe that Jim Dolan would treat Charles Oakley in the manner that he was treated and then almost immediately issued a press release insinuating that Oakley has problems and is in need of help.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did try to mediate the issue between Oakley and Dolan with an in-person meeting on February 13, 2017, which included Michael Jordan by telephone. However, from interviews given by Oakley after the meeting, he needs time to process all that has happened in the last 10 days and won't be satisfied until Dolan issues a public apology.

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Tanisha Wright, Kiah Stokes, and Tina Charles gained history-making stats; Sugar Rodgers came up big with points at the right time

It was yet another memorable night in the World’s Most Famous Arena as the New York Liberty took on the Dallas Wings. Coming off a win 15-point road win against the San Antonio Stars, the ladies of New York defeated the Wings 91-88. This victory wasn’t the only accomplishment that took place in the arena on Tuesday night, Liberty vet Tanisha Wright recorded her 1,000th career rebound making her the 11th player in WNBA history to record 2,500 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds. Kiah Stokes also moved higher in the ranks clinching the 6th spot in New York Liberty history with 89 blocks. To top it all off Tina Charles hit a career high after she nailed three 3-pointers against the Wings, she never played a game where she completed more than one shot from beyond the arc.

The Liberty had an explosive first half capped off by two early shots made by Carolyn Swords, who has been  indispensable in the paint this season. However, the team struggled in the early moments and was down by as much as eight points. The Wings were able to capitalize off of New York’s miscommunication which allowed them to score four points off of the Liberty’s four turnovers. Dallas stars Odyssey Sims and Karima Christmas demonstrated their skills from beyond the arc early in the game after nailing two treys apiece. Nearly half of Dallas 26 points in the first half came from -three pointers. However rising Liberty star, Sugar Rodgers carried the team on her back once she displayed her skills from the three point line with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter. She soon followed up with the and-1 to tie it up 22-22 before the start of the second quarter. Rodgers scored 8 of her 18 points in the first quarter alone.

After only scoring 6 points in the first quarter, Charles led her team with 11 points in the second to outscore the Wings by 10 before the half. The Liberty was able to slow down the Wings defense forcing them to commit five turnovers and shoot 45.9% from the field. The Libs walked into the locker room with a 6-point lead (56-50). After soaring through the third the Liberty led by as much as 10 over the Wings, but the 4th quarter became a nail biter when Dallas came back and maintained a 4-point lead in the final minutes. Stokes served as the saving grace for her team after she deflected a lay-up attempt by Wings forward Christmas. This led to a sweet trey by Rodgers which sparked off a 6-0 run for Liberty. Charles led all scorers with 28 points and her late jumper in those final seconds bought the Liberty to their 91-88 win over the Dallas Wings.

With this win, the Liberty improved to a 6-4 record putting them second in the eastern conference. They hope to add to their two-game winning streak when they face off against the Connecticut Sun on  tonight. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm eastern standard time.