A day after having their season opener at Barclays canceled, the Knicks topped the Heat 104-84 in their home opener Friday night in front of a packed house in Madison Square Garden.

Before the game, the team paid tribute to the first responders and others who helped the city get through Hurricane Sandy and held a moment of silence for the victims.

The team announced it was donating $500,000 to relief efforts, and star forward Carmelo Anthony addressed the crowd.

"We just want to say, once again, just, thank you for coming out in hard times, coming out supporting the New York Knicks," Anthony said. "This is the most important time for the city of New York to come together as one and help rebuild the city back up."

Anthony gave the fans plenty of reason to cheer once the game got underway as he led all scorers with 30 points.

The Nets play their home opener at Barclays Center Saturday night against Toronto.