Kobe Bryant calls Carmelo Anthony the “most difficult” guy for him to guard – NBA Update
Carmelo Anthony has been a beast on the offense so far this season. At 27.7 points per game, the New York Knicks small forward is second only to Kobe Bryant in terms of points per game. The two titans took on each other on Thursday
night at the Madison Square Garden, and while talking to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday, the Black Mamba branded Melo as the toughest player to guard.
“For me?” Bryant said. “Yeah….”
“I’m [180 pounds] soaking wet,” said Bryant. “Going up against that bull, it’s fun, but it’s hard.”
Melo certainly played like a bull in the game against the Lakers. The small forward erupted with a 22 point first quarter, two shy of the franchise record. Melo was 8 of 9 from the floor during that stretch, propelling the Knicks
to a 41-27 lead, and from there on the hosts never looked back. With the win, the Knicks are 9-0 at home and lead their closest Eastern Conference rivals Miami Heat by two games.
"I was zoned in. I was locked in," Anthony said after the game. "Tonight was one of those games where I had that feeling. I wanted to get it going and I had that feeling going early in the game. My teammates were feeding off of
that."
The forward finished the night with 30 points. He could have had many more, but had to leave midway through the third quarter, after a hard foul by Dwight Howard caused him to land awkwardly on the floor and sprain his left ankle.
He status is day-to-day.
Kobe himself scored 31 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists on the night, but once again the Lakers lost, this time by 116-107. The Lakers are now 1-11 in games when Mamba scores 30 or more points.
Had Kobe made the same comments last season, when Melo was playing at three, there would have been some debate on the issue. But, with Melo playing deeper this season, it has literally become impossible to guard him. And when Kobe
says that it is even tougher than covering LeBron James, you have to believe it.
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