"As Carmelo Anthony transformed from pudgy prodigy to the refined basketball player with the body to showcase it, he shed his quest for a scoring trophy in favor of one for an N.B.A. title.

His Denver Nuggets are better off for it. Still, occasionally the quests intertwine, becoming dual means to a single destination. The Knicks realized that Friday evening at the Pepsi Center, when the audience serenaded Anthony with a chorus of "M.V.P's." as the Knicks alternated between spectators and enablers in their 128-125 loss. "