Before Carmelo Anthony scored 62 points at Madison Square Garden, a Los Angeles Laker held the record for most points scored in a game at the famed arena.
On February 2, 2009, Kobe Bryant set the previous record when he scored 61 points in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks. The Laker guard broke Bernard King’s record of 60 points and led an Andrew Bynum-less team to their 38th win. The 61 points also broke Michael Jordan’s opponents’ record at Madison Square Garden, eclipsing the 55 points he had in 1995.
It was Bryant’s fifth career game of at least 60 points and the fourth-highest total of his career. He finished 19-of-31 from the field, including 3-of-6 from behind the three-point line and a perfect 20-of-20 from the free-throw line. Bryant had 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers maintain their lead and leave with a victory.
For the Lakers, Pau Gasol added 31 points and 14 rebounds to help them improve to 38-9 on the season after learning that Bynum would be out two to three months with a torn MCL in his knee.