Carmelo Anthony shouts out heckler after Knicks beat Lakers at MSG
The New York Knicks entered Sunday’s play 2-1 on the road and 0-3 at Madison Square Garden. The key to getting off the schneid at the World’s Most Famous Arena? Well, really, it was playing the moribund Los Angeles Lakers, but for the purposes of argument, let’s say it was treating the not-so-friendly confines of the Garden as if it were a road gym … an endeavor with which the Knicks received some help from a smack-talkin’ courtside creature. (No, not the one you’re thinking of.)
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After scoring 11 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter to help key an 18-4 run that gave New York a 99-95 home win over longtime Garden villain Kobe Bryant and the visiting Lakers, Carmelo Anthony took the opportunity to credit one unsung hero for contributing to the Knicks’ first home win of the 2015-16 campaign, and one that snapped a three-game losing streak:
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My first thought was, “Oh, Melo, no — that wasn’t a fan. It was Kobe.” But then, sure enough, the camera pans to your main dude in the Lakers jacket, 25-ounce Bud Light tall boy in hand, trying to figure out how to get the last word. I love this game.
OK, Phil Jackson: You’re up. Time to start importing one loudmouthed fan in blindingly bright visiting-team attire per game, plant him/her directly in Melo’s line of sight, afford him/her immunity from expulsion by Garden security, and let him/her just go to town. We already know how much care and effort goes into filling out Celebrity Row on a game-by-game basis; this should not require much additional effort. If it gets Anthony back above 40 percent shooting on the season, it pays for itself!
With the Knicks about to set out for a two-game road trip that will feature visits to the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors and the bombs-away Charlotte Hornets, Jackson’s got a bit of lead time before New York returns to MSG for a Friday night tip against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Considering how their last meeting went, and how good Cleveland’s looked in cruising to a 6-1 start, the Zen Master might want to double up his efforts. I have no idea how Phil will be able to find two loudmouths willing to get drunk and boo Melo in New York on a Friday night with just five days of advance notice, but dammit, he’s got to try.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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