The crowd was waiting for the moment to erupt. In the third quarter, Carmelo Anthony delivered.

Alone on the left wing, Anthony took the three-pointer that made his return to Syracuse as a New York Knick official. As soon as the shot fell, the roar of the crowd swallowed up the former SU star as he flashed a smile the Orange faithful saw so many times 10 years ago.

The Philadelphia 76ers 98-90 win over the Knicks in a preseason game in the Carrier Dome in front of 8,831 fans on Monday night didn’t spoil Anthony’s return. It was the first time Anthony has played in Syracuse as a member of the Knicks. On the same floor where he helped lead the Orange to a national championship in 2003, Anthony took center stage once again.

The forward finished 7-of-23 from the field for 23 points in nearly 35 minutes of action. But the statistics took a backseat to Anthony’s return.

“Overall, tonight was just to give something back to the fans up here for them coming out, showing their support,” Anthony said. “Me being back here, playing another game … it brings back so many different memories.”

The game also marked the 50th anniversary of the Syracuse Nationals moving to Philadelphia to become the 76ers. On Monday, Philadelphia was actually the home team, forcing Anthony and the Knicks into the crammed visitors’ locker room.

“We’re hosting Carmelo tonight, so I don’t know how we do that,” 76ers head coach Doug Collins said. “I hope we’re not good hosts.”

It turned out they weren’t. But it never really mattered to Anthony or the crowd.

This was Anthony’s night and that was evident from the start. He played in front of his former head coach, Jim Boeheim. The two have remained close through their time with U.S. basketball.

Anthony was called first when the Knicks’ lineup was announced. He gave a wave to the crowd as fans snapped pictures and welcomed Anthony home.

They had barely sat down before Anthony brought them back to their feet. After taking the court to a standing ovation, the Knicks forward and former Syracuse star drained a jump shot from the left wing to give New York an early lead. Anthony said Woodson drew up a play to get him the first shot, and it worked out just like he drew it up.

No. 7 Anthony jerseys dotted the crowd. Cheers rained down the court each time Anthony touched the ball. Every miss elicited an “Ah” from the crowd and every hit generated rousing applause.

“I couldn’t be more proud of ’Melo. He’s had a wonderful career,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said.

Anthony, arguably the Knicks leader on the floor, didn’t put on a show, but displayed his variety of skills nonetheless.

About six minutes into the first quarter, Anthony drove the lane and pushed Philadelphia forward Thaddeus Young away with his right arm to force his way to the basket.

Preseason or not, Anthony said he just wanted to play. He pleaded with Woodson to not take him out, but the head coach told him the Knicks are going to need him for the long haul.

“My juices got flowing out there in the third quarter,” Anthony said. “The competitiveness came out.”

That’s when his biggest moment arrived.

With 55.5 seconds left in the third quarter, New York guard Steve Novak nearly threw the ball out of bounds before Anthony bounded over to save it from going out. He somehow managed to regain his balance and dribble to the left wing.

His step-back jumper brought the Knicks to within four points. But at this point, the score had little meaning. This was about Anthony appeasing every fan who wanted a moment to remember.

When Anthony left the Carrier Dome on Monday, he was headed toward much more significant games as the Knicks look to become contenders in the Eastern Conference. For one night, though, Anthony was at the center of attention.

Scores and statistics meant little. This game was for Anthony and his Syracuse fans.

“It was a fun game,” Anthony said. “At this point, it’s not about the wins and losses. It’s about what we take from the game, just getting better. Just having some fun out there.”

Published on October 23, 2012 at 1:50 am

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman