Carmelo Anthony
With worlds of praise being heaped upon Kristaps Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony reminded the NBA of the star he is. With none of his teammates producing consistent offense, Anthony kept the Knicks alive.
In what was easily his best performance of the season, Anthony made one thing clear: Kristaps Porzingis may be a rising star, but it’s Anthony who gives them a chance to win.
Anthony finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds, two offensive boards, five assists, two steals, one block, and the game-winning jump shot. He shot 14-of-25 from the field, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in what was a true scoring clinic.
Most importantly, Anthony complemented his elite scoring numbers with a powerful impact on defense and the boards.
Anthony has been defending with an incredible level of energy and tenacity over the past three games. He’s leading by example for a Knicks team that completely no-showed the loss to the Washington Wizards.
Anthony may not get the respect he deserves outside of New York, but he dominated Charlotte and stepped up on both ends during the Knicks’ recent resurgence.