There were no Charles Oakley chants and one giant Knicks victory over a Western Conference power. Who would have thought that entering Sunday’s nationally televised matinee?
With Carmelo Anthony scoring seven points in the final 2:46, the Knicks averted arguably their worst homestand in history when they stunned the Spurs 94-90 at the Garden.
Anthony finished with 25 points in what could be his last game at the Garden in a Knicks uniform, as the club doesn’t play home again until after the Feb. 23 trading deadline.
“I hope so,’’ Anthony said when asked this could be the season’s turning point. “For us to come out and play the way we did and then take steps backwards, this game would be useless. I hope we take steps forward.’’
The Knicks (23-33) have one game left before the All-Star break, Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The mighty Spurs fell to 41-13 as a loud roar engulfed the Garden at the final buzzer and embattled owner James Dolan visited the locker room for the first time in the new year.
The Oakley chants, so noticeable Friday, disappeared, and in their place came a wave of alumni invited to show support to Dolan, including formerly shunned Latrell Sprewell.
The talk of the locker room was how the Saturday’s three-hour practice helped change the mentality. In the film room, the players were asked to comment aloud on the defensive breakdowns during the 131-point debacle against Denver on Friday.
“Looking at the tape, talking amongst themselves, then trusting each other, I think the trust came out tonight,’’ Hornacek said.
“It was a great film session,’’ Anthony said. “Timely. Lengthy. It was great. Guys spoke up. We relied on the accountability that was in the room. It worked.”
While Derrick Rose scored 18 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 16, the addition of reserve defensive forward Lance Thomas became vital. He slowed down Kawhi Leonard and set a defensive tone not seen since he was injured Jan. 15.
“If you bring it defensively, the energy toughness, you can beat anyone in this league,’’ Thomas said. “A win like that shows it. If we bring it like that, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be in position to win every game we play.’’
The film-room debate, Thomas said, could prove a seminal moment. “We voiced our opinion,’’ he said. “We’re the ones on the floor. Coaches might see it one way on film. We see it another way. We went through certain clips and found common ground. They understood where we were coming from. We understand what they see.”
Rookie center Willy Hernangomez notched 12 points and nine rebounds in his first start at that position with Joakim Noah (hamstring) still out.
“I don’t want to jinx us, but we played team defense tonight and we held everyone accountable,’’ Rose said. “It has to be consistent. I don’t want this to be one or two games.’’
Indeed, the old-timers got to see the Knicks play some defense in Oakley-esque fashion, as the Spurs were held to 36 percent shooting and the Knicks avoided an 0-5 homestand. Leonard scored 36 points for San Antonio.
“We had a big negative cloud above us. We were letting it get to us,” Courtney Lee said. “Some guys don’t pay attention to that stuff but at some point you get tired of it. To get a win against the Spurs is huge — maybe the thing we need to turn it around.’’
Anthony, who scored 21 of his points in the second half, banged in a wide open 3-pointer with 2:46 left to make it 86-81. After the Spurs cut it to two, Anthony scored inside for a four-point bulge. Leonard bricked a 3-pointer and Anthony sealed it again with a 20-foot jumper with 33 seconds left, making it 92-86.
“I always love those moments, especially in a big game like this against San Antonio,” Anthony said. “You embrace those moments.’’