Madison Square Garden is known as the World's Most Famous Arena; the Mecca. When players take the floor at the Garden, they want to deliver a legendary performance in front of the New York faithful. Unfortunately for the Knicks, opposing players make themselves right at home just as much as those who sport the orange and blue.

This list will rank the top performances ever at Madison Square Garden. It will not be based on just statistics but when the performance occurred and the legacy that it has left on the NBA.

10. Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks

Patrick Ewing

Game Result: 115-110 Loss to Boston Celtics

Date: March 24, 1990

Stats: 51 points, 18 rebounds, 20-29 FG, 11-13 FT

The Garden has seen a lot of 50 point performances but Ewing was the only one to have a 50 point, 15 rebounds game — and he did it twice. A late March match up with the Boston Celtics saw one of the best Knicks ever go for 51 and 18 in 41 minutes.

Ewing would duel with Kevin McHale and Larry Bird all night, but the Knicks came up short in this one thanks to a poor fourth quarter. Ewing made his mark on the game making 20 field goals and being almost automatic from the free throw line. If this game was a win for the Knicks, it might have landed higher on the list. Despite the losing effort, it was one of the all-time performances.

9. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Game Result: 113-96 Win over New York Knicks

Date: April 22, 2011

Stats: 15 points, 11 rebounds, 20 assists, 5-13 FG, 5-6  FT

The history of Madison Square Garden is long and illustrious but it has only seen four playoff triple-doubles. Rondo accomplished that feat in game three of the Eastern Conference First Round in 2011. Michael Jordan did it twice and Dennis Johnson completes the quartet.

Rajon Rondo, LeBron James, Lakers

Despite Rondo scoring the least amount of points out of the four performances, this one trumps the rest due to the rest of his stats. Dishing out 20 assists is no easy task but rondo did it with ease moving around the court with fluidity and had the Celtics in command like he was their conductor. Then Celtics head coach Doc Rivers compared Rondo in this game to a catcher in baseball calling a perfect game. Rondo, simply and humbly, gave credit to the off-ball screens that freed up Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all night.

8. Bernard King, New York Knicks

Game Result: 120-114 Loss to New Jersey Nets

Date: December 25, 1984

Stats: 60 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 19-30 FG, 22-26 FT

The true King of New York delivered a Christmas Day performance that is still talked about every year when the Knicks take the floor on the 25th of December. King scored 60 points and set a Knicks' franchise record and Madison Square Garden record. It was just another day for the magnificent scorer as he went on to average 32.9 points per game that season. Along with the points record, King set the free throw record draining 22 of 26 attempts. That record stood for quite some time until Kobe Bryant nailed 23 in a 2006 game.

7. Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers

Game Result: 93-86 Win over New York Knicks

Date: June 1, 1994

Stats: 39 points, 6 assists, 14-26 FG, 6-11 3P

This was more than just Knicks vs. Pacers. This was Indiana vs. New York, it was the Eastern Conference playoffs — but more importantly, it was Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee. In game five of the Eastern Conference Finals, Miller delivered one of the most legendary performances ever at MSG. He scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and went back and forth with Lee the entire time.

Reggie Miller, Pacers
CP

Trailing by six with 18.7 seconds left, Miller hit two three's in five seconds to tie the game then would knock down two free throws to make it eight points in nine seconds. the infamous throat grab originated in this game when Miller gestured toward Lee saying his team choked. Did Lee light a fire under Miller? The New York Daily News seems to think so as their next day headline read “Thanks a lot, Spike.”

6. Walt Frazier, New York Knicks

Game Result: 113-99 Win over Los Angeles Lakers

Date: May 8, 1970

Stats: 36 points, 7 rebounds, 19 assists, 12-17 FG, 12-12 FT

The Knicks and Lakers took the floor one last time in 1970 to determine who would be the champions of the NBA. Game seven in Madison Square Garden, it does not get any bigger than that and Clyde delivered a performance that will never be forgotten. He scored 22 points in the first half and ended this game early. Frazier and the Knicks cruised in the second half and picked up an NBA Title for New York.

5. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Game Result: 107-102 Win over New York Knicks

Date: February 4, 2009

Stats: 52 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 17-33 FG, 16-19 FT

LeBron James

Early February in 2009 saw the Knicks giving out some late New Years' presents in the Garden. Just two days after Bryant's legendary performance, James delivered one of his own. James ended one rebound shy of a triple-double and probably could have went for 70 if he just tried to score. The importance of playing in the Garden is something James always eluded to. He would regularly hear “MVP” chants when in New York. This win was the Cavs 39th of the year in just 48 games. With the next highest scorer for the Cavs was 15 points, it shows how valuable James was.

4. Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

Game Result: 113-111 Win over New York Knicks

Date: March 28, 1995

Stats: 55 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 21-37 FG, 10-11 FT

In what is known as the “Double Nickel Game,” Jordan threw a Mike Tyson like punch to the Knicks defense all-night long. He scored 55 points and took a two-point win back to Chicago. As if there needs to be anymore to be impressed with, he had just come out of retirement nine days prior. Jordan took the floor at MSG in just his fifth game of action since returning and put the entire NBA on notice. An absolute scoring machine put on a show and had himself a night that struck fear through the rest of the league.

3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Game Result: 126-117 Win over New York Knicks

Date: February 2, 2009

Stats: 61 points, 3 assists, 19-31 FG, 20-20 FT

Bryant delivered his fifth 60-point game of his career in the World's Most Famous Arena. He had himself a night that was record breaking. Bryant broke MSG's opponent's record of 55 points which was set by Jordan. Later, he would go onto break the all-time record of 60 set by King. The basket must have looked as big as the ocean for Bryant who took 51 shots, combining field goals and free throws, and missed only 12.

kobe bryant

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Game Result: 109-105 Loss to New York Knicks

Date: February 27, 2013

Stats: 54 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 18-28 FG, 11-13 3P, 7-7 FT

All great players are referred to by one name. If you are ever wondering when Curry turned from “the point guard from Davidson” to simply “Steph,” it was on a February night at MSG. It had a feel as if Curry could have shot from Penn Station and it would have went in. A miraculous 11-13 performance from downtown seemed to have a simple message attached, that Curry will be the greatest shooter of all-time. Despite the losing effort, that game put the entire world on notice about Curry. Now, three rings, two MVP awards and $200 million later, Curry is a brand but it all began at the Garden.

1. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Game Result: 125-96 Win over Charlotte Bobcats

Date: January 24, 2014

Stats: 62 points, 13 rebounds, 23-35 FG, 6-11 3P, 10-10 FT

Six out of 10 spots on this list are held by opposing players in the Garden but the top spot belongs to a guy who wore the home team's jersey. Carmelo Anthony broke Bryant's MSG record when he scored 62 points in a game against Charlotte while playing only 38 minutes. Anthony scored 18 points in the first quarter and the entire building sensed that something great was about to happen.

A 41-foot heave at the halftime buzzer that dropped confirmed those feelings and Anthony did not disappoint in the second half. Melo haters quickly point out at that he did not record an assists in this game. What they fail to mention is that he did not turn the ball over either.

Only twice in MSG history has a player recorded zero turnovers while scoring 40 points. Anthony added 22 more and still did not give the ball up. This was truly an incredible performance by a player in his own arena.