New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony’s Top 5 Games In NY
MELO PUTS UP 41 IN BITTERSWEET GAME 4 WIN – MAY 6, 2012
There weren’t many people giving the New York Knicks a chance in this series, and technically, they didn’t have one. New York lost the series in 5.
But Game 4 was the most improbable victory in recent Knicks playoff history, considering the circumstances. That’s why it tops the list of Carmelo Anthony’s Top 5 performances as a Knick.
The Knicks were flat out depleted and overmatched. Shooting guard Iman Shumpert tore his ACL in Game 1. A’mare Stoudemire punched a fire extinguisher in frustration after Game 2’s loss, lacerating the palm of his right hand, requiring a cast for the rest of the series.
Jeremy Lin tore his meniscus prior to the playoffs and Tyson Chandler was recovering from the flu.
Not to mention, the Knicks had lost the first three games by an average deficit of 20 points. New York was on pace to lose its 14th consecutive playoff game.
It was a circus.
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Both teams shot below 43 percent, and we’re held under 90 points. There were 23 fouls called in the second quarter alone. That lack of fluidity halted both teams, and it was reflective in the frigid shooting. Take ‘Melo out of the equation and the Knicks shot 17-of-46 from the field.
But Stoudemire, cast and all, came through as the perfect scoring option, contributing 20 points and 10 rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting. Melo had 41 points on 15-of-29 from the field, six rebounds and four assists, but it was Stoudemire’s timely buckets that allowed New York to stay close and gave Anthony some breathing room to operate.
There were somber moments, as well. Starting point guard Baron Davis suffered a gruesome knee injury in the third period that, as of right now, ended his NBA career.
But New York was able to regain its composure behind Melo’s guidance, holding onto a 3-point lead going into the fourth.
From there, it pretty much became the ‘Melo and Co. show. Anthony showed off his clutch gene with timely shots and Stoudemire attacked and got to the free throw line. There was even a Mike Bibby sighting, as he hit a 3-pointer to break the 81-all tie in the fourth.
This game was clearly an outlier in a series that Miami dominated handily, but it was almost symbolic of how resilient that 2011-12 team was, despite all their shortcomings and misfortunes.
They knew it was a long shot to win the series, but they fought and persevered, giving the crowd their first playoff win since 2001.
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It was also the precursor to what we’d see from ‘Melo as a player and leader, as he would lead the Knicks to a 54-28 record the following season. Cheers to hoping the Knicks see some postseason success in 2016-17.