Hometown High
Melo records his first 50 point game to bury the Knicks.
Carmelo, flying high in Denver
Nuggets fans rejoice, for there is such a thing as home court advantage, and it is alive and well here in Denver. With a 7-0 home stand thus far, Denver is doing what it must to maintain the hair thin lead over Portland. Coming off a thrilling win over the Knickerbockers, the Nuggets seem to have a jump in their step and twinkle in their eyes as they brush off opponent after oppenent through comradery and sheer will.
Opening the week with two expected thrashings of the lowly Nets (now 0-16) and the Timberwolves (now 1-15), Denver was able to take burning momentum into a NY Knicks collision. The Nuggets as a whole played very well all night, Mr. Big Shot was the peak supporter (next to Melo) with 32 points & 8 assists; the Brazillian put in hard work at 36 minutes with 9 points and 2 blocked shots; however, the fiery fingers of the night belonged to the one we call MELO! For the first time in his career and only the second NBA player this season, Carmelo Anthony shredded the nylon with 50 points; most importantly he was 15 of 16 from the line. With 16 seconds left in the game, Melo hit two clutch free throws to give the Nuggets a 127-123 lead to ice the game. (Final score 128-125).
As predicted by… no one, Melo has temporarily conquered a wall defended by the current elite in the NBA. He is averaging 30.9 points per game; bettering Kobe “Black Mamba” Bryant (30.1), LeBron “King” James (29.4), Kevin Durant & Dwyane Wade. How is this possible? With Chauncy at his side, Melo is now able to unload some of his expected team leadership pressures and focus on his game, and yes, he got game. Granted, Melo will not and cannot record such a high point total every night, but rest assured all opponents are aware of and should respect Melo’s abilities on the court.
Showing team unity on the court, as well as individualism of the minds, the Nuggets are offering up a season of excitement, possiblity and hope for a basketball championship. Denver does not have time to let up, with three home games against Minesota, Golden State and Miami approaching, all hands must be on deck if Denver is to defend their fort.
I love the Nuggets at home this year. It’s not at all like the Cavs of last year where they just played outstanding defense in their own house. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The Nuggets’ offense is unstoppable with that raucous Pepsi Center crowd behind them, and Melo has gotten to the point in his career where he refuses to lose close games. We might see Birdman & the Kids play the whole second half tomorrow night with the T-Wolves in town.