Third child? Still an unstable role!

Knicks vs. Heat.

The "Three Young Guns" vs. the "Four Giants."

The new season's opening-night showdown, a clash that felt like a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, ended in a Knicks victory.

After the game.

Coach D'Antoni told reporters, "My team won the game.

That's certainly something to be happy about.

But I also know we didn't win by a landslide. Our opponents were really good.

And there are several other super teams in this league as good as the Heat.

We'll stay in competitive form and take every game ahead seriously.

The new season has begun, and everything starts from zero. Until we're back on top, we won't let up!"

The super teams D'Antoni had in mind.

Besides the Heat, there were also... the Lakers, who had signed Griffin, and the Thunder, who had signed Cousins.

Two days later.

The Knicks were still at home, where they welcomed their second opponent of the new season: the Nuggets.

Point guard: Billups; shooting guard: Arron Afflalo; small forward: Anthony; power forward: Kenyon Martin; center: Nene.

Billups controlled the game, while Afflalo, the Three-point shot god, hit over 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Anthony was an Offensive Kaleidoscope, with a textbook-steady Mid-range shot.

Kenyon Martin had all the athletic gifts, and could do plenty of damage attacking the rim. Nene guarded the paint.

The Nuggets had an almost perfect lineup, though they might have lacked enough star power.

That did nothing to stop them from becoming a Western Conference powerhouse.

Before the game.

An ESPN reporter asked a Nuggets fan, "Where do you think Carmelo ranks among the small forwards in this league?!"

"First."

The fan blurted it out, eyes wide open.

The reporter didn't rush him, but asked in return, "And where does the 'Current #1 Player,' Su Yan,