Knicks 125, Bobcats 96

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks, with forward Camelo Anthony scoring a career-high and franchise-record 62 points, finally won a game during their current eight-game homestand as they demolished the Charlotte Bobcats 125-96 on Friday night.

The Knicks (16-27) were able to snap their five-game losing streak — including the last three at the Garden — due mainly to Anthony. The All-Star’s 62 points were the most points ever scored in the current edition of the Garden.

Anthony was torrid from the start as he notched the franchise’s single-quarter high with 20 points in the opening stanza, only to top that by finishing the first half with a league-best 37 points.

It was the fourth time that Anthony surpassed the 50-point mark, en route to his career-high showing. His performance broke small forward Bernard King’s mark of 60 points by a Knick and Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant’s record of 61 points by any player on the Garden floor.

Anthony wasn’t a one-dimensional player, either, as he also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Knicks as a whole were hot, shooting 55.6 percent from the field, including 51.9 percent in 3-pointers.

Anthony was the main offensive attraction, as the Knicks didn’t need much else by way of offense, but shooting guard J.R. Smith also added 14 points (5-of-9 shooting), four assists and two steals, while point guard Raymond Felton finally shook his recent slump by notching 11 points, five assists and just one turnover.

Charlotte (19-26) was led by center Al Jefferson’s 25 points and nine rebounds, while guards Jannero Pargo and Ramon Sessions registered 11 and 12 points, respectively, and reserve swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts added 14 points. The Bobcats shot a respectable 48.7 percent from the floor, but Anthony’s torrid shooting obviously overshadowed that statistic.

The Knicks shook their early malaise during the eight-game homestand to take a commanding 67-46 halftime lead over the Bobcats.

Anthony had 37 points — an NBA season high in the first half — on 15-of-21 shooting from the field in 22 minutes.

The Knicks shot 63.6 percent from the field, including 43.2 percent on 3-pointers.

NOTES: F Carmelo Anthony, who leads the league at 39 minutes per game, logged a game-high 38 minutes. He sat for good at the 7:11 mark of the fourth quarter. … Knicks PF Andrea Bargnani did not play and will be out indefinitely due a torn ligament in his left elbow. Head coach Mike Woodson said as of right now, surgery is not an option — although if it is needed, it could knock his stretch power forward out for the season. … G Pablo Prigioni got the start alongside PG Raymond Felton in place of Bargnani’s absence. … The Knicks crept one game closer to the playoff threshold as they are now two games behind the Bobcats, who currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot. … Bobcats PG Kemba Walker, a New York native, missed the game with a sprained left ankle. … Veteran backup PG Ramon Sessions got the start at point guard for the Bobcats. … Former Knick C Patrick Ewing is currently an associate coach on the Bobcats and was on the bench. Ewing took the clipboard in the teams’ first meeting earlier in the season when head coach Steve Clifford fell ill.