Carmelo Anthony, Back in New York, Gets Cheers, a Video and a Loss

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As Carmelo Anthony sat on the Oklahoma City bench in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, waiting for the game against the Knicks to begin, the arena went dark.

Anthony’s return to New York for the first time since he was traded to the Thunder in September had been highly anticipated, in part because no one could be quite sure what kind of reception he would get from Knicks fans who watched him score a lot of points over the years without much team success to show for it.

When the pregame blackout at the Garden suddenly cut away to a video tribute to Anthony, it caught him by surprise, he said. A nearly minute-long reflection on his high points with the organization was the Knicks’ way of saying thank you, and the crowd produced a chorus of cheers.

“That goes a long way with myself,” Anthony said. “It was very much appreciated.”

“Thank you Melo,” said the message from the Knicks in the video. Thank you, too, said the cheering fans.

A welcome also came from Knicks teammates and Garden security guards, who greeted Anthony with handshakes and hugs during pregame warm-ups. But once the game began, the dynamic shifted, as Knicks fans got down to the business of rooting for their team. They did cheer Anthony when his first shot of the game, a 3-pointer, went in. But as the game progressed, and both teams took turns holding the first-half lead, Anthony heard mostly jeers.

Anthony, who said he had expected that treatment as an opponent, seemed to take it all in stride. But he could not come up with a memorable performance. He and his Thunder teammates ran out of gas one night after playing, and winning, a triple-overtime game in Philadelphia. And so, not surprisingly, a 50-46 halftime lead for the Knicks became a 111-96 victory.

The result left the Knicks, who were led by Michael Beasley’s 30 points, with a four-game winning streak and a better-than-expected 16-13 record. And it left the Thunder at a sobering 14-15 and still trying to mesh Anthony and Paul George, its two star imports, with Russell Westbrook, the N.B.A.’s reigning most valuable player.

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Against the Knicks, Anthony played 32 minutes and scored 12 points while making only 5 of 18 shots. But back-to-back games are never easy for a 33-year-old, even one with all the motivation Anthony no doubt had on Saturday night. Having played 47 minutes on Friday, his shot was mostly missing as the Knicks gradually pulled away in the second half.

Also absent on Saturday was Kristaps Porzingis, who has replaced Anthony as the Knicks’ go-to scorer but who sat out the game with a sore knee.

Anthony’s legacy with the Knicks is complicated. He led the Knicks to the playoffs several times in his six and a half seasons in New York but never beyond the second round. There was also a lot of losing mixed in; indeed, the Knicks won just 80 games over his last three seasons with the team.

The Knicks’ deterioration frustrated Anthony, who had come to New York wanting to win an N.B.A. title. The failure, he said Saturday, still rattles around in his mind.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling for me knowing the goals that I had,” he said. “What I wanted to accomplish here and falling short.’’

During his tenure with the Knicks, Anthony also had to deal with a growing perception that he was too focused on scoring and having the ball in his hands, and too unwilling to change his style of play.

That stance led to the departure of one coach, Mike D’Antoni, and helped precipitate a battle of wills with Phil Jackson, who was the Knicks’ team president for about half of Anthony’s time in New York.

Anthony won that feud, in that Jackson was pushed out last June while Anthony remained with the Knicks. But just months later, Anthony agreed to leave New York in a trade to the Thunder.

All of which led to Saturday night and Anthony’s return. On Friday night, in Philadelphia, he spoke briefly about his time in New York and hinted at what he hoped his reception would be when he got to the Garden.

“It’s not like I was there a season or two seasons,” he said. “I spent a lot of time there — almost seven years. It was great times, bad times. Regardless, I stuck with it. I always remained professional. I came and did my job whether they liked it or not. Hopefully, they recognize that.”

The fans did, with their salute before the game. But then reality, and fatigue, set in. And Anthony, in the Garden, was once again on the wrong end of the final score.