Carmelo Anthony Scores 50 Points, Knicks Top Heat 102-90
New York Knicks’ star Carmelo Anthony tied his career-high by scoring 50 points Tuesday night in a 102-90 win over the Miami Heat. The Heat came into the contest without Mario Chalmers, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade for the second straight game due to minor injuries.
Anthony set the tone early for the Knicks, shooting 7-for-8 from the field to start the game with 17 points in the first quarter. The Knicks took a 27-25 lead into the second quarter, but the Heat regained momentum with Anthony resting on the bench and jumped out to an eight-point lead before the half.
Anthony took control in the second half and scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Knicks regained the lead going into the fourth. New York’s defense stepped up and held the lead early in the final quarter as Anthony was back on the bench with 42 points.
Anthony returned to the floor and hit a jumper over Chris Bosh to get back in the groove as the Knicks began to pull away from the Heat. Anthony hit two three-pointers late including one with 16.9 seconds left over Shane Battier to seal the win for the Knicks.
The 28-year-old became the third player this season to score 50 points in a game with Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. The Knicks star forward shot 18-for-26 from the floor on Tuesday, including going 7-for-10 from the behind the arc.
“Regardless of who suited up, we wanted to win this basketball game,” Anthony said after the game. ” Our own confidence. Our own momentum.”
Outside of Anthony’s huge night, J.R. Smith added 14 points off the bench while Raymond Felton finished with 10 points and nine assists.
With the win, the Knicks beat the Heat for the third time in four meetings to win the season series. The Knicks have now won nine straight games and have moved ahead of the Indiana Pacers for second place in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are riding the longest win streak in the NBA and have given themselves some room to breath in the Atlantic Division. The Brooklyn Nets trail the Knicks by five games, and the two teams won’t see each other again unless they meet in the playoffs.
The New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 102-90 Tuesday night and Carmelo Anthony is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Can Anthony and the Knicks contend for the NBA title once LeBron James and Dwyane Wade return to the Heat?
[Image via Creative Commons]
