5 best clutch shots hit by Carmelo Anthony
In the midst of some criticism that I've offered for Melo in the past 2 days, I would be amiss if I didn't highlight some of the great things he's achieved on an NBA court through the years. Melo is about as clutch as anyone in NBA history, with 23 game-winning shots scored over 15 seasons in the league.
At one point, there was a legitimate debate between fans as to whether Melo or Kobe was the better clutch player before Kobe hit 7 gamewinners in the same season to establish his supremacy in clutch time convincingly. As it is, Melo is no slouch at it either, with a jump shot so pure that he's the only player in NBA history to tally a 50-point game without a single point scored inside the paint.
Let's take a look at his 5 biggest clutch moments:
#5 Game winner against the Pacers, 10th April 2011
Foot injuries had already begun affecting Amar'e by this time, and he sat this game out - putting the onus on Melo to give the Knicks scoring. With the Knicks trailing by one against the troublesome Indiana Pacers Sunday night at the Conseco Fieldhouse, Anthony was the hero again, adding another feather to his cap of clutch shots built through a career of doing the same stuff.
With 4.9 seconds left, Anthony nailed a shot over Indiana's Danny Granger, giving the Knicks a 110-109 advantage that they did not relinquish in the time that remained. Anthony led all scorers with 34 points, and his game-winning shot made him 19-for-39 in his career on shots that tie the game or give his team the lead in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime.