COURTSIDE.

Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong

Carmelo Anthony was in high spirits throughout the Knicks' first game- day shootaround of the season, but his very presence at Madison Square Garden in light of the significant change in routine underscored the gravity of the situation. In any case, he minced no words to highlight the importance of their scheduled set-to against the highly regarded Magic; he described it as a "must win" no less than three times, markedly departing from his patience-preaching stance in the face of their swoon following his trade-deadline arrival.

To his credit, Anthony did just about everything right from the opening tip of the Knicks' homestand yesterday. …