Carmelo Anthony’s 39 points help Knicks outlast Hawks
Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points, and the New York Knicks outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 113-112 on Sunday.
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NBA Crush of the Week: Carmelo Anthony
NBA fans are like middle-school girls. I know that’s true, because I’m an NBA fan.
We become obsessed with players who put together impressive and mesmerizing performances. More than becoming obsessed, we actually start crushing on those players.
Come on, I know you’re sitting there denying the fact that you do it, too, but if you’re honest you’ll admit that every once and awhile you develop a totally platonic crush on the NBA fad of the week.
This week’s NBA crush is none other than Carmelo Anthony, as he’s put together remarkable performances throughout the past week that’s helped NBA fans truly believe once again that anything is possible.
Ahead is all the info you need about the NBA Crush of the Week: Carmelo Anthony.
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Carmelo Anthony’s Leadership Is More Impressive Than Insane Numbers
It’s all too easy to chalk up New York’s recent success to Carmelo Anthony‘s recent spate of unreal production—he’s averaging 31.2 points over his last 10 games, shooting 51 percent from the field.
Impressive, yes. But the numbers are—as always—only half the story here.
Anthony has emerged as a leader at a time when his team desperately needs one. The Knicks‘ heart and soul was seemingly broken when Jeremy Lin’s season ended in March. New York’s brain trust was in similar disarray, grappling with a seismic shift in coaching and philosophy.
Through the turmoil, Tyson Chandler has remained a backbone and defensive inspiration. Mike Woodson has pulled a rabbit out of his hat and turned a team around like few coaches could ever hope to.
Nevertheless, the defining sea change in this club’s culture has been Anthony’s instantaneous emergence as a leader first and superstar second. With Amar’e Stoudemire sidelined, Anthony has risen to occasion through play that is both inspired and inspiring.
His confidence can only be described as infectious.
The Knicks’ Easter Sunday overtime win against the Chicago Bulls was a coming out party for Anthony. His 43 points and seven rebounds were nice, but—again—only half the story.
His contested three-pointers to send the game to overtime, and then later win it in the extra frame, sent an unmistakable message to the Knicks and NBA alike: This superstar isn’t afraid to take the big shot.
And he’s not half-bad at actually making it.
We’ve also seen Anthony’s leadership and all-around dominance in the 118-110 statement against the Boston Celtics. It’s not just that he racked up a triple-double headlined by 35 points on 13-24 shooting—he took control of his team in the process.
Anthony’s passing was sublime in the all-around signature performance. He created opportunities for his supporting cast while aggressively looking for his shot in a balanced approach typically reserved for elite point guards or LeBron James.
This was a Carmelo Anthony we began to see flashes of in Denver, a complete player committed to doing the little things it takes to win.
The old Anthony might have gone for 40 or 50 points against the Celtics. A winning Anthony understands that he must do more than score.
The man who has so often been accused of playing for himself to the detriment of his team has also been more than amenable to his temporary transition to the four spot while Amar’e Stoudemire sits out.
Anthony hasn’t disappointed in the new role, averaging 8.2 boards a game (nearly two over his career average).
Some players—particularly players of Carmelo’s pedigree—would scoff at the the demands of a late-season position shift. Anthony has accepted the challenge and thrived.
It’s too soon to assume this is the same Anthony we’ll see when Stoudemire returns, much less when the postseason starts. For now, though, it’s the Anthony New York needs to see.
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Carmelo Anthony: NY Knicks Star Shows Leadership in Win over Boston Celtics
Carmelo Anthony dropped 35 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Knicks steamrolled the Boston Celtics 118-110 Tuesday night. It was Anthony’s first triple-double as a Knick, and, surprisingly, only the second of his nine-year career.
And even though the margin of victory was only eight points, the Knicks dominated from tipoff to final buzzer. They drained a record-tying 14 three-pointers in the first half, raining 72 points on Boston before the break.
J.R. Smith and Steve Novak shot the lights out, each scoring 25 points off the bench. Each time the Celtics drew within striking distance, one of them hit yet another three-ball to reignite the raucous crowd at the Garden.
Tyson Chandler added 20 points, and each time Boston swarmed the perimeter, it seemed Chandler was knifing to the hoop to punish them for their negligence.
Even Paul “The Truth” Pierce’s 43 points could not sink the Knicks Tuesday night. And while both teams shot very well from the field, it was New York that looked the better prepared team to make noise in the playoffs.
This game was much more impressive than any of Carmelo Anthony’s other prolific scoring games with the Knicks. Not only did he contribute his scoring prowess, but he crashed the boards and distributed the ball.
Other playoff teams do not want to see this. This is the sort of weapon that won Syracuse a national championship in 2003.
And versus the Celtics, ‘Melo even exhibited leadership and the killer instinct of a winner and a finisher. For the first time since joining New York, I saw a player that didn’t just want to score, but want to win as well.
In the fourth quarter, the C’s pulled to within six points with three minutes remaining. Anthony posted up to the left of the basket and seemed ready to either turn and shoot, or drive to the hoop.
Instead, he rifled a cross-court pass to Steve Novak in space on the right wing, who dribbled and side-stepped an airborne Rajon Rondo then drained a three to put the Knicks up by nine.
After a Rondo jumper from the top of the key, Iman Shumpert brought the ball up and fed it to Anthony at the left elbow. ‘Melo faced up his defender, and then fired a pass to Novak, who had raced up from the baseline. Novakaine buried another three-pointer and the Garden crowd exploded into a frenzy.
It was Anthony’s 10th assist of the night. The Knicks were up by 10 with two minutes to play. Doc Rivers had to call a timeout to steady his squad.
But as Steve Novak ran back up the floor and crossed half court with a swagger, he turned and looked at Anthony—perhaps to display a “discount double-check” celebration and thank him for the two consecutive assists.
Carmelo Anthony calmly held up both hands and said something along the lines of, “Whoa, easy” to his sharp-shooting forward, seeming to ask for restraint and focus, not exuberance and championship-belt donning. TNT even ran a replay of it after the commercial break.
Novak immediately changed his demeanor and walked directly to the bench to join the huddle for the next defensive sequence. Jared Jeffries tried the jumping shoulder-bump celebration, but Novak didn’t reciprocate, catching Jeffries instead.
Anthony seemed focused on closing out the final two minutes against a tough opponent, rather than celebrating his triple-double, or Novak’s crowd-stirring threes.
The Knicks were exuberant in celebrating a 17-point lead in the third quarter against Indiana just a couple weeks back on April 3rd. They lost that game by eight points.
Perhaps ‘Melo learned a lesson.
If Carmelo Anthony has started using his tremendous talent to play team-first basketball that is focused on winning, the rest of the NBA better be on notice—the Knicks look ready to do some serious damage regardless of their opponent.
The Knicks control their own playoff destiny, and will be getting Amar’e Stoudemire back in the rotation this weekend.
This team is coming together right before our eyes, and they’ve been steeled by some tough matchups in the past two weeks against the Magic, Bulls, Heat and a Milwaukee Bucks fighting for their own playoff spot.
These Knicks look dangerous. Mike Woodson has his squad fired up and they seem to be putting it all together at the right time. They have multiple personalities in the locker room, to be sure, but have exhibited both stifling defense and explosive offense.
In addition to that, they display character and a never-say-die toughness that was rarely seen under Coach D’Antoni. These Knicks are chomping at the bit for the playoffs.
They’re planning on actually winning a game or two this time. And maybe even 16.
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Celtics vs. Knicks: Carmelo Anthony’s Triple-Double Outshines Paul Pierce’s 43
Paul Pierce did everything in his power to lift the Boston Celtics over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, but Carmelo Anthony‘s triple-double, combined with the Knicks’ deadly three-point shooting, proved to be too much.
Pierce ended up dropping 43 points at Madison Square Garden, going 11-of-19 from the field and 17-of-18 from the free-throw line. But it was Anthony who had the last laugh, posting a staggering triple-double of 35 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists en route to a 118-110 victory.
It’s been said over and over again that Anthony is not a team player, but perhaps, it’s just that he has trouble meshing with other stars on the court. The fact of the matter is, he was a team player on Tuesday night, evidenced by his 10 assists, and he’s been a big part of the Knicks’ success without the injured Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin.
While Stoudemire and Lin have played vital roles in the Knicks getting to where they are, it’s hard to imagine where the Knicks would be without Anthony. While they’ve been absent, their starting power forward and point guard, has posted at least 18 points in his last 11 games and been generally efficient while doing so.
Stoudemire, coming off a back injury, is eying a Friday return. The question is, will his return affect Anthony’s sterling performance over the last month?
It’s a legitimate concern because the two have had their fair share of troubles meshing together. Remember, before Lin lit a fire under the Knicks, they were struggling with Anthony and Stoudemire.
What’s so ironic about the Knicks’ latest run with Anthony taking charge is that they’ve actually played well as a team, too. Steve Novak and J.R. Smith combined for 50 points and 15 three-pointers off the bench on Tuesday, and Tyson Chandler posted 20 points and seven boards, so it wasn’t all Anthony.
So, you essentially have the Knicks playing well together, with Anthony as the leading scorer, and Anthony was the scapegoat less than a month ago.
Anthony isn’t necessarily a selfish or disruptive player by himself. The problem is that he has a hard time getting into rhythm alongside other stars.
What does it all mean for the Knicks?
It means that they have more questions under the surface than you would think. They are the definition of a wild card, despite their rousing performance against the Celtics.
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What Happened to the Rivalry Between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony?
They were two young stars with unique and special abilities on the basketball court. They had recently played in a high-attention scholastic contest against each other. They were both selected in the same draft.
The LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony rivalry was supposed to be the best individual rivalry since Magic and Bird.
But while the relationship between Bird and Johnson is dramatized in a new Broadway play, Anthony and James will meet for the 15th time in their careers and do so without much fanfare.
James and Anthony first met in a USA developmental camp in 2001. Much like how Johnson raved about Bird after they played together on a college All-Star team playing in an international tournament, James couldn’t stop talking about Anthony.
The two squared off in a high school showcase game the following year that pitted the player regarded as the best senior in the country (Anthony) against the one that was the best junior in the country (James), a game Anthony’s team would win.
After Anthony spent a year at Syracuse and James finished his high school career, both were selected in the 2003 NBA draft, James first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Anthony third overall to the Denver Nuggets.
The rivalry was supposed to take off from there. Both were top draft picks and successful scorers. They both played small forward and could match up against each other.
The similarities continue throughout their careers as both played together on the previous gold medal-winning Olympic team and inspired much dislike from fans after the ways both players went about changing teams.
The rivalry, however, always felt forced, unnatural.
The first game against each other would be a perfect indication of how the rivalry would develop over the years.
The hype for the first NBA game against each other was high but it was for a meaningless game in early November in which both players failed to really make an impact on the game.
Anthony played 39 minutes but only scored 14 points on 6-for-17 shooting. James played 41 minutes and did have 11 rebounds and seven assists, but he only scored seven points and shot a measly 27 percent from the field. The Nuggets won that game 93-89.
The Magic and Bird rivalry started off so strong because they were thrust into an already existing rivalry that was larger than themselves.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers rivalry was an already established rivalry. They were the most successful franchises in NBA history that had some memorable battles for the NBA championship, as well as individual player subplots. There was a rivalry before Magic and Bird and there was one after them.
Denver and Cleveland were only linked together because of James and Anthony. They haven’t met with much on the line and with both superstars moving on to new teams, there’s not much too exciting about the matchup now.
Johnson and Bird motivated each other because they both knew they would have to go through the other to win the championship, something both had the most burning desire to do multiple times. With Anthony and James, winning just hasn’t been part of the equation.
Neither player has a ring, and while LeBron has lost in the NBA Finals twice, Anthony hasn’t been nearly as “successful” in the playoffs as James has. Anthony has played in the playoffs every year since his rookie season, but has only made it out of the first round once (in the 2008-09 season the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference finals before losing to the Lakers, 4-2).
With James on the Miami Heat and Anthony on the New York Knicks, both are now in the Eastern Conference and the possibility of them playing each other in the playoffs increases, including this year where a first-round matchup seems like a strong possibility.
If the two can play each other with greater stakes, the rivalry may intensify, but until then the matchups will be second-rate.
While Anthony’s teams haven’t matched the success of James’ teams, Anthony also hasn’t achieved the individual honors that LeBron has.
Over his career, James has averaged more points, rebounds, assists and blocks per game and also has a better shooting percentage than Anthony. James has been on the All-Defensive First Team three times while Anthony is criticized for not taking his defensive responsibilities seriously. James won the Rookie of the Year Award the first year both players were in the NBA and has been an All-Star three more times.
James has outscored Anthony 10 of the 14 times the two have met. He is a two-time league MVP (with a good chance to win the award again this year) while Anthony has never won the award. In fact, Anthony has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting only once in his career (sixth in 2010).
Finally, do these players even buy into the idea that they are rivals?
The NBA, for better or worse, has become quite the “buddy-buddy” league, where players have known each other for long periods of time and are good friends. With the recent phenomenon of creating “super teams,” where the best players team up with other elite players in an effort to win a championship together, the superstars in the league today have been criticized for not having the competitive drive to want to beat each other.
If James and Anthony don’t consider themselves rivals, then how can the public see it that way?
James and Anthony are obviously two talented basketball players. They bring a lot of star power to the game and are certainly entertaining to watch play on the same court together.
But the rivalry that was marketed by the NBA when they first entered the league never really grew further than that.
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Carmelo Anthony’s Game Winner Was Awesome Because We Love Hero Ball
The city was his.
When Carmelo Anthony‘s second three-pointer in a five-minute span fell through the net on Sunday afternoon he got to be the hero. After giving the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd an Easter miracle by way of an overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls, Anthony owned New York.
This is what happens when you shine in the moment. Shrink and you’ll feel the weight of the world bearing down upon you. Soak it up, perform, deliver, and you’ll be able to become whoever you want. Usually, that’s the hero.
It’s amazing, isn’t it? The difference a game-winning shot or 40-point performance can make is incredible. A few weeks ago, Anthony returned from the injury list to a mix of boos and cheers from fans who were unsure how they felt about his me-first brand of basketball and propensity for having the ball in his hands.
On Sunday, with Derrick Rose and Anthony each trying to shine in crunch time, Anthony was up to the challenge. When a safe three-pointer from Steve Novak rimmed around, around, around, halfway down and then out, it was a hurried three launched from Anthony that fell and forced overtime. The extra session was Anthony’s and he put on a show, scoring the final five points of the game for the Knicks, including that second three with 8.2 seconds remaining on the clock.
Anthony scored 43 points—his most since being traded to the Knicks—and in addition to giving the Knicks the victory, he gave himself a free pass. People chirping about his shot selection or whether he was to blame for Mike D’Antoni’s resignation were silenced because he did what he was supposed to do.
He freed himself because he gave us what we wanted.
We want hero ball. We can talk about stats and probabilities. We can groan and eye-roll and tweet snarky things when Anthony or Kobe Bryant or Russell Westbrook falter in the moment, when we think they should have made a smarter play, but when it all boils down to it, this is what we want.
What would be more exciting: Novak hitting a shot we’ve watched him hit all season, and celebrating his brief moment to be the hero, or Anthony saving the team—twice—at the last second, making us tense up, go silent, eyes widen as we don’t dare breathe until we see whether he’ll come through in the clutch or falter when it matters most?
Of course it’s Anthony.
We want heroes to be heroes. We want them to be better than everyone else, bigger than the game. While a superstar can wipe the slate clean by swishing a game winner, we get to experience the high more intensely when we get the dramatic, Hollywood ending.
So superstars, keep shooting. We weren’t with you in the gym, but we want you to hit the big shots all the same.
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New York Knicks Riding Carmelo Anthony to the NBA Playoffs
After Carmelo Anthony‘s 43-point effort against the Chicago Bulls, there’s no doubt the New York Knicks are riding their best player to the NBA playoffs.
With all the media attention and constant scrutiny of the New York fan base, Anthony was criticized by everyone (including yours truly) for his bad shot selection and the stagnation of the Knicks’ offense when he was isolated.
I think NBA on ABC commentator and former head coach Jeff Van Gundy said it best after Anthony’s game-winning three-pointer against the Chicago Bulls:
“Who’s shooting too much now?”
Anthony’s shot was the type of heroic play that must’ve had even Van Gundy himself feeling that old feeling of his winning days against great teams at Madison Square Garden.
Hell, as a Knicks fan, I sure did.
I’m not sure what bad things you can say about Melo at this moment. He’s single-handedly put the Knicks on his back with two of their best players injured and has kept the team alive.
But not only alive, Anthony is leading the Knicks up the standings and to a playoff spot.
Although after the game New York had against Chicago on Easter Sunday, I’m not sure if the Knicks would want the seventh seed. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind, Knick fan or not, that this team can hang with the NBA’s best team.
And that’s without Jeremy Lin and Amar’e Stoudemire.
It appears the Knicks finally have a leader by example on the floor, in Anthony, and the rest of the team is feeding off of it.
Not only has he been lights-out scoring the ball, his effort on defense and on the glass is beginning to put him in that special class of elite players in this league.
No more are the days when Melo is a one-dimensional scorer. He is now becoming a complete player and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
There aren’t many players in the NBA more valuable to their team than Anthony is right now.
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Video: Carmelo ties and beats Bulls with in your face 3′s
Carmelo Anthony put the New York Knicks on his back late in regulation and in the OT.
With the Knicks trailing the Bulls by 3 in regulation, Anthony hit a three-pointer with Taj Gibson all up in his grill. The shot propelled the game into OT.
Anthony wasn’t done. With the Knicks down two, the ball found its way over to Anthony and he took at another three from about the same spot, this time with Luol Deng in his face. The result this time was a game-winner as the Bulls couldn’t find one more score following.
H/T @jose3030
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Jeremy Lin out with Torn Meniscus, Carmelo Anthony to Take over Again
It’s Carmelo Anthony‘s world again.
After an incredible run, Jeremy Lin’s spectacular season is over. The team announced that Lin will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and will miss the rest of the regular season and likely the playoffs as well.
Expected to be out for six weeks, the New York Knicks will have to move forward without Lin. They also have to continue their playoff push without Amar’e Stoudemire, who is expected to be out a few more weeks with a back injury.
During the height of Linsanity, everyone wondered how things would work when Anthony returned to the lineup after being out with a groin injury. While there were a few bumps in the road immediately after he reentered the lineup, the team cut ties with Mike D’Antoni, moved Mike Woodson into the coaching chair and watched as things levelled out again.
Anthony and Lin learned how to play with one another, Lin came back down to Earth after that wild stretch that had him dominating the news cycles and the Knicks went back to being that unpredictable team in New York.
Without Lin and Stoudemire, this is Anthony’s team to lead wherever it will go. While Baron Davis will become the Knicks starting point guard, all eyes will be on Anthony as he tries to keep his team in the playoff race.
Currently two-and-a-half games up on Milwaukee for the final spot in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks close out the season against strong competition. This is a tough pill to swallow for Knicks fans after allowing themselves to get swept up in the hysteria that accompanied Lin’s improbable ascension.
While Lin struggled to hold onto the ball, averaging 3.6 turnovers per game, he could get to the hoop and he could score. He helped the Knicks’ offense look as smooth as we’ve seen it, and they will miss his steadying hand.
It will be interesting to watch the Knicks and see how things go with Davis manning the point. While he’s a capable veteran, Davis has appeared in just 19 games this season after struggling with injuries himself. With Davis stepping into the starter’s spot, this truly is Anthony’s time to shine.
However many shots Anthony wants, he’s going to get. There will be no more wondering who the play will be drawn up for or who is going to take the final shot. Because he’s down two starters, regardless of how things go for the Knicks to close out the season, Anthony is in a good spot.
If things fall apart and he’s unable to play the hero, the team being shorthanded will keep him exempt from blame. If Anthony is able to get the Knicks into the postseason by going into Kobe Bryant-jacking-mode, hero ball lives.
While this story now shifts to Anthony, it really is a shame that Lin’s season had to end prematurely. After such a brilliant stretch in February, it feels a little unfair that this has to happen. If we’re being honest though, the guy has already won the life lottery for this year. He knows it, too. In a quote from the AP story on Lin’s surgery, he says,
“If this was done very early in the year, obviously…I don’t know where my career would be. I could be, would be definitely without a job and probably fighting for a summer league spot,” Lin said. “But having said that, this happening now hurts just as much, because all the players, we really put our heart and souls into the team and into season, and to not be there when it really matters most is hard.”
That’s a nice way of looking at it. Had he tended to his knee earlier in the year, he’d likely still be crashing on his brother’s couch. The lesson here: ignore knee pain until it requires you to get surgery. Okay, not really. Only if you’re Jeremy Lin and have the whole universe conspiring to make your dreams come true.
While it sucks for Lin to have to go under the knife four weeks before the season ends, imagine if we hadn’t have been gifted with his rise. It was fun. It’ll be fun again. He just needs some time. Whether the Knicks finish the season on a high note or crash and burn, they won because Lin brought them back into relevancy, and the world is a better place when the Knicks matter.
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