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The ball flew — sometimes from the edge of the arc, sometimes from well beyond it, often with Knicks defenders closing fast — following its own gentle arc toward the net, splashing through 11 times, until Curry, the boyish Golden State Warriors guard, had amassed a career-best 54 points and set the record books ablaze.

The performance was unreal — "Remarkable," Carmelo Anthony said — but the Knicks were just slightly better, holding on for a 109-105 victory.

In the aftermath, the Knicks (34-20) expressed more relief than elation, with a healthy dose of admiration for Curry's splendid shooting: 18 for 28 from the field, 11 for 13 from the arc.

"There's nothing we could have done," Tyson Chandler said sheepishly. "We threw a lot of different looks at him. He's a special young player with a very unique talent, the way he shoots the ball."

The Garden had not witnessed a performance this brilliant since LeBron James scored 52 points for Cleveland on Feb. 4, 2009. Curry's night was in many ways more entertaining and impressive, with his points coming, as they did, so far from the basket.

The Knicks tried trapping and double-teaming Curry and denying him the ball. Nothing fazed him, and nothing stopped his hot streak until 1 minute 28 seconds remained, when Raymond Felton swatted Curry's 20-foot jumper with the score tied at 105-105.

J. R. Smith followed with a jump shot that gave the Knicks the lead for good, and Anthony followed with a 9-foot turnaround jumper to seal the victory.

Felton's block highlighted a late defensive stand that allowed the Knicks to pull away. Felton also had a key steal (of Festus Ezeli), and Iman Shumpert swiped the ball from Curry during the critical stretch run.

"It felt good," Felton said of his block, "because it was down in the stretch where we needed it. If he hits that shot, then maybe the game is different."

Anthony led the Knicks with 35 points and had his best passing game of the season, with eight assists. Chandler grabbed a career-high 28 rebounds, including 13 in the first quarter, and scored 16 points. Smith broke out for 26 points and at times matched Curry's shooting (albeit for only a play or two).

Yet Curry, who also had seven assists, outshined them all while playing every second of the game, and just one night after scoring 38 points at Indiana. The Warriors (33-25) lost both games. But Curry left a clear imprint on the Garden and set a record for the most 3-pointers by a Knicks opponent.

Curry rarely hesitated, hitting shots from the left side and the right. He pulled up in transition. He shot behind screens and with defenders in his face. He smiled and shimmied and danced across the Garden floor. Curry had never scored more than 42 points, a mark he passed early in the fourth quarter.

"It was a lot of energy tonight in that arena for both teams," Curry said. "When I made a couple shots, you hear the crowd a little bit, and obviously when they were knocking down dagger 3s. It was electric, and I was kind of running off adrenaline down the stretch and taking advantage of the TV timeouts."

The Knicks struggled to keep pace, hitting as many 3-pointers as a team (11, on 34 attempts) as Curry did by himself.

"We trapped him some," Coach Mike Woodson said, "and he beat our traps, shot it before you could actually get the trap on him. He just had a phenomenal game."

The first blow to the Knicks' defense came earlier in the day, when the team announced that Rasheed Wallace — their defensive anchor in November — would have foot surgery, effectively ending his season. Although Wallace could theoretically return in the playoffs, it is unlikely he will play again after such a long layoff.

The Warriors played without David Lee — their leading rebounder and No. 2 scorer — who was suspended for his part in a brawl with the Pacers on Tuesday night. For much of the night, the Warriors hardly seemed to miss him.

The night featured two happy debuts. Kenyon Martin made his first appearance for the Knicks after signing a 10-day contract over the weekend. And Jackson, a former Knicks draft pick, made his first Garden appearance as a head coach — an occasion delayed one year by the 2011 lockout, which prevented the Warriors from visiting last season.

"It was part of my dreams as a kid," Jackson said, "and to have the opportunity to fulfill those dreams as a player, an announcer and now as a coach is an incredible blessing, and I thank God for it."

Jackson got a warm welcome from the crowd during pregame introductions. The roar for Martin began the moment he approached the scorer's table in the second quarter. He played five minutes without registering a statistic. The Knicks expect him to ultimately fill a utility role, and to help bolster their sagging defense.

On Wednesday night, the Knicks' defense was not terrible, just irrelevant.

"No, no, there's nothing nobody can do," Anthony said of Curry. "Nothing nobody can do. Just hope he miss."

REBOUNDS

Marcus Camby scrimmaged twice this week and is "getting close" to rejoining the rotation, Mike Woodson said. He declined to say whether that might happen this weekend. Once he is healthy, Camby could effectively fill the role that Rasheed Wallace did in November, anchoring the second-unit defense. "Absolutely, he will slide in there," Woodson said. Camby has appeared in just 14 games and has not played since Jan. 10, because of a strained plantar fascia in his foot. ...Pablo Prigioni played despite a case of back spasms that forced him to sit out the morning shootaround. He played nine minutes. ...Tyson Chandler grabbed 13 rebounds in the first quarter, the most by any player since Dec. 1, 2010, when Chandler, then with Dallas, grabbed 14 in the third quarter in a win over Minnesota.