Melo drops 45, as Knicks defeat Nets 100-97

After trailing by 17 points in the early part of this game, the Knicks came back to stun the Nets.

Carmelo Anthony was a leader tonight, he made shot after shot and really brought and kept the Knicks in the game. Anthony scored a season high 45 points on 15 of 24 shooting. He also made 5 three pointers in 7 attempts. Anthony did play 44 minutes tonight, but he did impact the game while on the floor. He also scored 15 points in the fourth quarter that really made this game winnable for the Knicks. This was clearly his biggest performance of the season.

Jason Kidd was also very key in tonight’s win. Kidd scored 18 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists in tonight’s win. He really made some clutch plays in tonight’s game. Kidd nailed two huge three pointers in the fourth quarter that really gave the Knicks some much needed momentum. His last three of the game was a three in which he was fouled, he did miss the free throw, but after that the Nets were unable to score. His value to this team is growing game by game and tonight he won this game for the team.

Despite Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler’s tough games, the Knicks were still able to win. Both Felton and Chandler were in foul trouble most of the game and that really impacted their performances.

JR Smith really gutted out this game despite a bad back. Smith really made some plays and never gave up tonight. His 16 points were huge for the outcome of this game. He made some excellent defensive plays that led to missed shots, late in this game. He really has played well this season and seems very focused.

Tonight the Knicks really showed that they can win despite having a deficit in double digits. They came back and won this game with excellent execution and unrelenting pressure on the defensive end. This was an amazing game from many standpoints, but the shot  by Jason Kidd really sealed his importance to this team.

The Knicks will next play the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. That game will start a six game home stand.

Improving to 16-5 on the season the Knicks really put themselves in excellent position to keep winning. Tonight was awesome, but the future is definitely bright for the Knicks.

Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

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