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Carmelo Anthony is one of the most talented offensive players in the history of the NBA. He was part of the legendary 2003 NBA Draft, which featured stars like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Drafted by the Denver Nuggets, he showed superstar potential in his rookie season itself.
As his career progressed, Carmelo Anthony proved himself to be a hungry rebounder and an absolute offensive juggernaut. He recently entered the NBA's top 10 list of all-time points leaders. He ranks in 10th place with 27,370 points and is on track to surpass Moses Malone for the ninth spot.
Having played the last two seasons as a contributing member of the Portland Trailblazers, the 37-year-old aims to win a championship with LeBron James and the LA Lakers in the upcoming season.
Looking back at his career, here are the top five performances by Carmelo Anthony in a Denver Nuggets uniform.
#5 Carmelo Anthony goes off for 45 points vs Minnesota: 10-12-2008
Carmelo Anthony dominated during this game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Doing everything necessary to win, he played some solid defense as he fought the Timberwolves' bigs for rebounds.
Anthony got into his offensive bag and efficiently used rip-through drives to the basket, pulling up jumpers to score 45 points. Shooting 55.2% from the field and 50% from behind the arc, he also managed to grab 11 rebounds for the game.
Carmelo Anthony also contributed on the defensive end by getting four steals. While not known for being a lockdown defender, he played some tough defense while matched up against the Timberwolves.
#4 Carmelo Anthony drops 47 points vs Sacramento: 05-04-2008
Carmelo Anthony put in a scintillating performance in this game against the Sacramento Kings. While the game resulted in a loss for the Denver Nuggets, Anthony put his offensive skills on display.
Anthony positioned himself well under the rim to catch lobs from his teammates. He also fought for several rebounds on the offensive glass, getting five offensive rebounds in the process.
Carmelo Anthony picked up the scoring slack in a relatively quiet game for Allen Iverson. He scored 47 points for the game, shooting 79.2% from the field and 75% from downtown. He also went for a perfect 100% from the free-throw line on six attempted free throws.
On the defensive end, Anthony managed to get three steals and grabbed a total of 11 rebounds for the game.
Also Read: How much is Carmelo Anthony’s Net Worth in 2021?
#3 Carmelo Anthony goes off for 49 points vs Washington: 08-02-2008
In this game against the Washington Wizards, Carmelo Anthony went to work from all over the floor but mostly dominated from the right wing. He exploited his matchups against Andray Blatche and DeShawn Stevenson on most switches.
Anthony started the game red-hot. In the first five minutes of play, he had scored all of the Denver Nuggets' points. This led to an 18-point first quarter, with 7/8 shooting from the field.
Without having to worry about rebounding with Marcus Camby on the glass, Anthony focused solely on scoring. Since Allen Iverson was feeding the ball to him, all he had to do was get to the right spot and let it loose.
Anthony shot 76% from the field and a whopping 100% from beyond the arc on three attempts. He was also a perfect 8/8 from the free-throw line.
The Washington Wizards would start double-teaming Anthony in the closing minute of the game to prevent him from scoring 50.
#2 Carmelo Anthony has his first 50 point game vs New York: 27-11-2009
In this close win over the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups would combine for 82 points for the Denver Nuggets.
Anthony battled it out against the Knicks' Al Harrington, who scored 41 points for the game. However, the latter's 50 points gave the Nuggets the win.
Carmelo Anthony started the game going hard to the basket. Finishing in a crowd of Knicks' defenders, he would not be denied from scoring.
Going into the second quarter, Anthony started moving to his comfort zone on the right wing. He also ran the floor on fast breaks and cuts to the basket, helping Billups get some easy assist numbers.
While Anthony didn't have a great game from downtown, shooting only 25%, he shot an efficient 60.7% from the field overall. Over the course of the game, he also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists.
This game also happened to be the first time that Carmelo Anthony scored 50 points against a team. Considering that the Knicks are the team where he achieved his superstar status, this seems like a fitting coincidence.
#1 Carmelo Anthony scores 50 points in one of his last games with the Denver Nuggets: 07-02-2011
In his last season with the Denver Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony put on an offensive spectacle against the Houston Rockets. Although the Nuggets would lose this game 103-108, Anthony's 50-point night was a masterclass in scoring.
In a scoring duel against Kevin Martin, Anthony carried the Nuggets' offensive load on his back. Guarded closely by the Rockets' Chuck Hayes, he went to work on the right mid-post. He made use of his offensive arsenal, routinely going into spin moves and pump fakes to shift defenders out of position.
In a highly efficient shooting game, Anthony shot 66.7% from the field and 66.7% from downtown. He also shot 88.9% from the free-throw line while grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds on the rebounding front.
His efforts on the defensive end were commendable as he racked up three blocks and a steal over the course of the game.
Given that Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks on the 22nd of February in 2011, this was one of his final games for the Denver Nuggets.
Playing in front of the Nuggets home crowd and dropping 50 points can be seen as him signing off on a great career with the franchise that drafted him.
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