Watch: Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony face off and deliver top performances on Christmas Day in 2012
Christmas day fixtures have always been a memorable tradition in the NBA. Eight years ago today, there was a face-off between the Los Angeles Kobe Bryant and New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony.
It was a shootout between the two All-Star players, as they both recorded 34 points for their respective teams. Their shooting prowess was on display as they both stole the night. They kept playing end-to-end basketball, sinking in shots with ease.
Melo vs Kobe on Christmas in 2012.
The pinnacle of buckets. Two assassins who took pride in cooking you 1 on 1 in a variety of ways in a half court set. Pure as it gets. https://t.co/GmTxpiVF31
That season, the Knicks had a more successful campaign, being crowned the Atlantic Division champions. They also had a good playoff run, only losing out in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers. The series ended with the Pacers winning by a 4-2 record.
The Lakers, on the other hand, finished third in the NBA Pacific Division and crashed out early in the first round of the playoffs. They were swept in the first round of the NBA Western Conference by the San Antonio Spurs.
Carmelo Anthony vs Kobe Bryant Christmas Day faceoff of 2012
It was the 28th game of the season for both the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks came into the game with a 20-7 record and the Lakers had a 13-14 record.
The Lakers took an early 2-point lead through the first quarter with Kobe Bryant leading the way. By the end of the first half, the difference was still by a 2-point margin as they both scored the same number of points in the second quarter.
The third quarter ended with the Knicks securing the lead for the first time, as Carmelo Anthony posted 17 points. By the fourth quarter, Anthony had 27 points and Bryant had mustered 26 points. The Lakers reclaimed the lead in the fourth quarter and won the game by a 6-point margin.
Nine years ago today, Kobe Bryant went full Black Mamba mode on Australia during the 2012 Olympic Games. 🐍🇺🇸 https://t.co/fC73XR4nik
Carmelo Anthony posted 13 out of 23 field goal attempts, recording 56.5% accuracy from the field. He also sunk 3 out of 8 threes and an almost perfect record from the charity stripe. He registered 34 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
Kobe Bryant also posted 34 points, recording 5 rebounds alongside an assist and a block. He secured a field goal percentage of 58.3, having netted 14 out of 24 field shots. He sunk only one three out of 5 attempts, but registered 5 free throws in 7 attempts to record a 71.4% accuracy.
Also Read: Who is Carmelo Anthony’s wife, Alani "La La" Vazquez?