LEAD: 'Melo returns, struggling Knicks pound lowly Pistons

By Paul Levine Feb 1, 2012, 7:23 GMT

Los Angeles - Carmelo Anthony returned to the lineup with his shooting touch, and the struggling New York Knicks easily found their way back into the win column.

Anthony scored 25 points after missing the last two games with an assortment of nagging injuries, and the Knicks won for just the second time in the last 11 games, pounding the visiting Detroit Pistons 113-86 Tuesday night.

Anthony sat out the last two games to rest ankle, thumb and wrist sprains that have recently slowed down his production. It seemed to work, as the Knicks' top scorer made 9-of-14 shots and handed out six assists in the lopsided win.

'I really utilized the last five days to take some time off and get my body right,' he said. 'My legs felt great out there tonight, I felt refreshed. I could feel me having my explosiveness back.'

Knicks centre Tyson Chandler was all smiles to have Anthony back.

'It's a huge difference, he's one of the best players in the world,' Chandler said of the All-Star forward. 'You can't play off of him. He's such a great passer, and when he gets into a rhythm he's virtually unstoppable. It was definitely great to have him back on the floor again.'

Landry Fields netted 18 points, Chandler contributed 17 while Amar'e Stoudemire finished with 15 for the Knicks, who shot a sizzling 60 per cent from the field for the first time since March 2004 to end a four-game home slide.

'A lot of that is Melo,' Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. 'You could see he was well, he looked good and we play a lot off him and he draws a lot of attention, makes it easy for everybody else, kind of puts everybody else back in their roles that they do.'

Led by 16 points apiece from Anthony and Fields, New York led 57-45 at halftime before blowing the game open. Using a stingy defence, the Knicks held their guests to just 12 points in the third quarter and carried an 81-57 cushion into the final frame en route to snapping a three-game slide.

Jonas Jerebko scored 15 points while Greg Monroe had 13 points with 12 rebounds for the downward-spiraling Pistons (4-19), who without injured Ben Gordon, Will Bynum and Charlie Villanueva, have dropped sixth in a row and 10 of 11.

'We're not even putting ourselves in a position where these games are in doubt,' Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. 'We're all embarrassed that we're not doing better. We all have to raise our hands and figure out ways we can improve.'

Elsewhere: Atlanta Hawks 100, Toronto Raptors 77: Joe Johnson equaled a season-best with 30 points to pace five teammates in double figures, and the Hawks finished an impressive 4-1 road trip after topping the Raptors.

Memphis Grizzlies 100, Denver Nuggets 97 (OT): Rudy Gay and Spaniard Marc Gasol had 20 points and 13 rebounds apiece while O.J. Mayo drilled the go-ahead three-pointer with 35 seconds left in overtime as the Grizzlies edged the visiting Nuggets to snap a four-game slide.

Al Harrington accumulated 23 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, which had its five-game road winning streak severed.

Boston Celtics 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 90: Paul Pierce scored 20 points, while Kevin Garnett knocked down a key jumper with just over a minute remaining and the Celtics survived the visiting Cavaliers after nearly blowing a 22-point cushion for their fifth win in six games.

Rookie Kyrie Irving netted 21 points while Brazilian-native Anderson Varejao finished with 20 points with 20 rebounds for Cleveland, which took Sunday's opener of the home-and-home series.

Indiana Pacers 106, New Jersey Nets 99: Paul George scored 24 points, Danny Granger added 21 while Roy Hibbert contributed 18 and 14 rebounds as the Pacers clipped the visiting Nets for the ninth consecutive time.

Deron Williams poured in 34 points for New Jersey while Anthony Morrow chipped in with a season-high 28.

LA Lakers 106, Charlotte Bobcats 73: Kobe Bryant scored all of his 24 points in the opening half, Andrew Bynum had 20 points with 11 rebounds and the Lakers sent the league-worst Bobcats (3-19) to their ninth straight loss.

Golden State Warriors 93, Sacramento Kings 90: Brandon Rush erupted for 15 of his 20 points in the final quarter, sparking the Warriors past the visiting Kings.

Tyreke Evans had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while DeMarcus Cousins finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds in Sacramento's fifth straight loss.