>Carmelo and Amar’e take Manhattan

>

Last month, a blockbuster trade landed Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony with the New York Knicks, sparking a media frenzy and hopes for the team’s first NBA championship since 1973. The renewed optimism for Gotham hoops comes as Melo joins former Phoenix Suns sensation Amar’e Stoudemire, who this season inked a five-year deal worth nearly $100 million in the Knicks’ aggressive push for a title — and relevancy.

“The Knicks are a classic franchise, so it’s nice to see them having a moment,” says GQ senior editor Will Welch.

Off the hardwood, both athletes are known as much for their style swagger as they are for their stutter step.

Stoudemire — who threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Yankees-Tampa Bay game in September — has cemented his sartorial standing by wrangling Anna Wintour to Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game.

Meanwhile, Anthony has been a tabloid fixture since Stoudemire threw a star-studded dinner at the West Village’s Spotted Pig to welcome his newest teammate and longtime friend.

The dapper dandies certainly know how to make a Big Apple entrance — pocket square and all. “Amar’e feels like an old soul, in a way,” says Welch.

“He’s got the whole prep thing going on. You see Amar’e in bow ties, chunky-framed glasses and cardigans.”

In 2009, the Brooklyn-born, Baltimore-raised Anthony began working with celebrity stylist Khalilah Williams-Webb, who refined his aesthetic.

Much to her delight, he shaved his trademark braids without nagging.

“My first question for him was, ‘Are you going to shave your braids?’ And he said no. [But] I went to Denver one day, and they were gone. I was so excited,” says Williams-Webb, who recently picked up varsity letterman jackets and crew-neck sweatshirts for the newly minted Knick.

She put him in custom suits with pops of color and tossed the baggy jackets out with his untucked, oversize shirts.

Stoudemire and Anthony, who stand at 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-8, respectively, both have pulled off style coups for men of their height.

The stars — who entered the NBA while in their teens — are devotees of LA-based tailor Waraire Boswell. At 6-foot-7, Boswell is an expert at fitting a taller, more athletic frame.

“Despite all of the money at their disposal, they can’t just walk into Barneys and Bergdorf and buy off the rack,” says Welch. “They have to have their stuff made for them.”

Knicks fans, however, love them best in blue and orange mesh.

Stoudemire, who only started playing organized ball at 14, was drafted into the NBA right out of high school, while Anthony played a year at Syracuse, won a national championship and entered the pros with just one year of college under his belt.

“Both of them have come really close to an NBA championship, but fell short,” says Robert Tuchman, author of “The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live.”

“Being in New York should change that.”

Thus far, the team is trying to jell, and has been streaky at best.

But the new additions have already captured the hearts of basketball and fashion fans alike.

Here’s how they stack up against each other in the personal arena . . .

Not-so-humble abodes

* Stoudemire: The swinging bachelor is in the penthouse of 99 Jane St. that opened in November after the previous tenant, Goldman Sachs banker Richard Kimball Jr., angered neighbors with his hard-partying ways. The $37,500-a-month pad has 4,500 square feet inside and another 4,500 square feet of outdoor space to entertain hopeful gal pals.

* Anthony: The recent arrival hasn’t yet committed to an apartment, but The Post has reported that he’s mulling two locations in SoHo, including the same Mercer Street building where Jon Bon Jovi lives (also the place where Mark Madoff committed suicide in December). He’s reportedly considering the upscale Soho Mews on West Broadway as well.

Marital status

* Stoudemire: “Amar’e is a lot more private with his private life,” says sports author Robert Tuchman. The dapper dandy was linked to Kanye’s ex, Amber Rose, in December, but the pair denied a romantic relationship.

* Anthony: Carmelo Anthony wed MTV personality and longtime girlfriend La La Vazquez at a star-studded ceremony at Cirpriani 42nd Street in July. Amar’e, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James and Spike Lee watched as Melo wed Vazquez, 31, in a custom navy Waraire Boswell tuxedo.

Mass appeal

Stoudemire: The Florida native has made no secret of his design aspirations, and plans to collaborate with Rachel Roy on men’s and women’s collections, to be rolled out in the fall. The pair was spotted discussing details at The Lion in December.

Anthony: While his teammate rubs shoulders with the fashion pack, Melo’s hanging with the VH1 film crew chronicling his and wife La La’s move from Denver to the Big Apple, tentatively called “La La’s Full Court Life.” It’s a follow-up to the network’s “La La’s Full Court Wedding.”

Spectacles

* Stoudemire: He rocks rec specs while posting up on opponents, but in his off-time, Stoudemire gets his cache of nerd-chic glasses from SoHo’s Silver Lining. From chunky, square Arthur Miller styles to the rounded Urkel variety, his frames are an integral part of Stoudemire’s playful, preppy aesthetic.

* Anthony: “He has to have his shades,” says celebrity stylist Khalilah Williams-Webb, who also plucks aviator sunglasses from Silver Lining’s vintage collection. “He loves Silver Lining because they have frames that he knows no one else will have,” she adds.

Vogue love

* Stoudemire: Editrix Anna Wintour is a famous fan of athletes such as Roger Federer and LeBron James; Stoudemire can now join the pantheon. Stoudemire — whom Wintour personally invited to last fall’s Fashion Night Out — has sat front-row with her at a Tommy Hilfiger show and appears in April’s issue, playing a hilarious game of one-on-one with the magazine’s resident dandy, Hamish Bowles.

* Anthony: He’s yet to land a coveted editorial spread, but his stylist hopes New York helps cultivate his fashion profile. “It’s the fashion capital. There are so many things to see here, and the streets are an inspiration,” says Williams-Webb. “I think it will be easier to convince him to try new things.

Style & sensibility

* Stoudemire: The slim power forward, who works with Rachel Johnson, LeBron James’ stylist, favors custom suits by Gucci and Waraire Boswell. “He’s really up on what’s going on right now,” says Welch. “He looks great in a tux, which is really hard when you’re 6-foot-10. He takes risks and pulls them off.” Whether he’s wearing a casual leather jacket and jeans or a bow tie and charcoal pinstripe suit, the fashion phenom hardly makes a style mistep, Welch says. “Amar’e tends to nail it,” he says.

* Anthony: When Melo shed his braids and baggy togs, adopting a cleaner silhouette, he began his ascent into the league’s style elite. “He’s coming into his own and figuring out who he is off the court,” says Welch. “He’s isn’t as consistent as Amar’e. He looks best when he keeps it simple.” He committed some flagrant fouls over the NBA All-Star Weekend when he showed up at one event in a flamboyant plaid suit and at another in a head-to-toe mustard-color ensemble. But Welch insists his best accessory is God-given. “He has an incredible smile,” he says.

>Hansbrough, Irish fail to get past Louisville

>

An ironic twist doomed Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament semifinals Friday night — Ben Hansbrough tried too hard.
Normally content to let the game come to him when he’s struggling with his shooting, Hansbrough had no choice
but to turn it up a notch after the Irish frittered away a 14-point lead in the second half under Louisville pressure.
But the Big East Player of the Year missed a Kemba Walker-like step-back jumper that would have won the game at the end of regulation. Then he missed two shots in the final minute of overtime that would have given the Irish a chance as Louisville rallied for an 83-77 win before a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden t hat included former Presiden t Bill Clinton.
‘‘It’s a perfect example of someone who almost wanted it too much,’’ Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. ‘‘It was an emotional investment in him wanting it so bad that he tied himself in knots.
‘‘[But] he’s the reason we’re in this position. We just have to get him some rest and get him going again.’’
Hansbrough scored 13 points on 3-for-16 shooting. He missed two free throws with 3:53 to go in regulation and had six turnovers to go with five assists as Notre Dame (26-6) was denied its first Big East title game. No. 3 seed Louisville (25-8) plays No.  9 seed Connecticut tonight.
The Irish, who still hope to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, overcame Hansbrough’s 1-for-8 shooting in the first half to build a 46-32 lead. Scott Martin scored 13 of his 21 points on 5-for-7 shooting, and Tim Abromaitis added 12 of his 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the half.
But Louisville turned up the heat with backcourt pressure in the second half, relentlessly drove to the basket and threw Notre Dame off
kilter. The Irish shot 8-for-28 in the second half — 3-for-13 from three-point range — while being outrebounded 30-18. Louisville had 23 offensive rebounds for the game.
‘‘They took us apart [in t
he first half],’’ Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. ‘‘I said you’ve got one shot at winning this game — you’ve got to take their legs out from them and it’ll pay off in the end. They did a fabulous job.’’
Notre Dame still led 66-58 on a Hansbrough three-pointer with 6:35 to go. But after Martin grabbed an errant Louisville pass in the lane, Hansbrough tried the same shot and missed. The Cardinals scored eight unanswered points to tie the game at 66 with 2:47 to play.
Carleton Scott tied the game at 72 with 46 seconds left in regulation and Notre Dame had the final possession. But Hansbrough’s outside jumper missed.
Hansbrough’s three-pointer gave Notre Dame a 75-74 lead in overtime. But Louisville center Terrence Jennings (16 points, five rebounds) scored on a rebound, Abromaitis and Hansbrough missed, and Louisville guard Chris Smith hit two free throws to give the Cardinals an 81-77 lead with 18 seconds left.

>Defending champion Lakers send Spurs message

>

The Los Angeles Lakers might not catch the NBA’s winningest team for the No. 1 seed in time for the playoffs, but they handed the San Antonio Spurs a blunt reminder that the Western Conference is still theirs to surrender, beating San Antonio, 99-83, in a blowout Sunday. 

 It was the seventh straight victory for the Lakers. Coach Phil Jackson concedes that San Antonio’s 61/2-game lead in the West might be too big to overcome with 18 games left. But the Lakers still made a few marks.

One is emphatically ending San Antonio’s franchise-record home winning streak at 22 games. Another is beating the Spurs for the first time in three tries, including last month’s stunning loss in Los Angeles when Antonio McDyess tipped in the winner as time expired

Chicago 87, (at) Miami 86: Derrick Rose scored 27 points, Luol Deng capped an 18-point effort with two free throws that put Chicago ahead for good. It was the fourth time since Feb. 24 where Miami held a double-digit lead and ultimately lost.

(At) Oklahoma City 122, Phoenix 118 (OT): Russell Westbrook had 32 points and 11 assists, James Harden matched his career high with 26 points as Oklahoma City overcame an off night from scoring leader Kevin Durant (18 points, 3-for-14).

New York 92, (at) Atlanta 79: Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points and Landry Fields added 15 as New York won easily. Carmelo Anthony, who was poked in the eye in the first quarter and later hit in the head in the first half, finished with 14 points, his lowest total since New York acquired him in a Feb. 22 trade.

(At) Philadelphia 125, Golden State 117 (OT): Andre Iguodala had his second straight triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to carry the 76ers.

New Orleans 96, (at) Cleveland 81: David West scored 23 points, and Chris Paul had 13 points and 11 assists in 26 minutes before being carried out on a stretcher after hitting his head. Paul was chasing a loose ball when he hit his forehead on Ramon Sessions’ right shoulder and immediately fell to the court.

Memphis 104, (at) Dallas 103: Zach Randolph made a high-arching 17-footer with 0.3 seconds left, capping a comeback from 18 points.