Carmelo Anthony commanded the ball late and came through in the clutch Friday in a dramatic 113-111 Knicks overtime win over the Hornets.
Anthony got the ball as the clock ticked down and started backing down his defender. Just before the buzzer sounded, he turned around and hit a nifty mid-range jumper to win the game.
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Anthony finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. It's the first time he has recorded a double-double this season.
Game winner for @carmeloanthony. Slight work. pic.twitter.com/xAUx24lkgu
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) November 26, 2016
Despite poor secondary numbers, Anthony has been a scoring machine this season. The nine-time All-Star has reached double figures in every game, and he has quietly led the Knicks (8-7) to five wins in their last six games. They'll try to build further on that Saturday when they take on the Hornets in Charlotte, in the back end of a home-and-home.
Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose added 16 points apiece to support Anthony. The Knicks' new version of a "Big Three" has the talent to lead New York back to the playoffs.
Studs of the Night
The Cavaliers' "Big Three" shone bright in a 128-90 win against the Mavericks. Kyrie Irving led the charge early, producing a perfect first half made complete with 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting.
Kevin Love dominated the second half en route to scoring 27 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. It was his 10th double-double of the season. LeBron James was a steady presence all game. He ended up with 19 points and 11 assists. Barring injury, this team is poised to defend its championship.
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In other news, Thunder star Russell Westbrook recorded yet another triple-double in a 132-129 win against the Nuggets in overtime (36 points, 18 assists, 12 rebounds). He's the first player with at least 30 points and 18 assists in a game since Chris Paul on Dec. 18, 2009, also against the Nuggets.
Dud of the Night
Grizzlies center Marc Gasol had just nine points and one rebound in a 90-81 loss to the Heat. Drawing Hassan Whiteside is never an easy assignment, but Gasol is expected to produce under difficult circumstances.
Highlight
Dion Waiters' crossover almost brought Grizzlies point guard Troy Daniels to his knees:
Waiters with the dirty crossover 👀 #NBAVine https://t.co/J77wvChCXx
— NBA (@NBA) November 26, 2016
What's next
Spurs (13-3) at Wizards (5-9) 7:00 p.m. ET — San Antonio became the sixth team in NBA history to start 9-0 or better on the road after defeating the Celtics 109-103 on Friday. Washington is trying to ride the momentum of winning two straight.