Gallinari (37) helps Denver beat Knicks in 2 OTs
Carmelo Anthony drives past the Nuggets' Danilo Gallinari during the first half. (Jan. 21, 2012) Credit: AP
Carmelo Anthony spent part of the pregame in the Nuggets' locker room, talking with his old teammates and coaches. Then he spent most of the night misfiring jumpers for his current team.
Afterward, he sat at his locker pondering his immediate future, whether he should stop shooting or just take a few nights off to rest his sprained left wrist.
This was the first game between the Knicks and Nuggets since the blockbuster deal that changed both franchises, and Denver again got the better of it.
Anthony sent the game to overtime by hitting a jumper with 1.7 seconds left in regulation, but he shot 10-for-30 in the Knicks' crushing 119-114 double-overtime loss Saturday night at the Garden. It was the sixth straight loss for the Knicks (6-10).
"I've been in situations before when shots don't go in," Anthony said. "Maybe I need to not take so many shots. Those are a bunch of things going in my mind: just coming down, taking less shots, just figuring out ways to make other guys better, should I pass it more? Maybe I should take the blame for the games we've been losing, offensive struggles. Coach does run the offense through me. So I'll take it. I'll take that blame."
Anthony had 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but he also committed six turnovers, including three offensive fouls. He also lost the ball in the final seconds of the first overtime with a chance to win it. The fans booed him after some of his misses.
It was another bad night for Amar'e Stoudemire. He had 11 rebounds but scored only 12 points and shot 4-for-9, taking only three shots after halftime. He hit a three-pointer with 7.6 seconds left in the second overtime to bring the Knicks within three, but Danilo Gallinari sank two free throws with 4.4 seconds left to clinch it.
"We had the chance to win," Stoudemire said. "It's all about winning with me. It's not about numbers, not about shots."
Gallinari -- the main player in the trade who went to the Nuggets -- scored a career-high 37 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in his Garden return. Former Knick Al Harrington, who was not involved in the trade, added 24 points and 11 rebounds. Former Knick Timofey Mozgov, who was, had 16 points.
Anthony forced his way from Denver to New York, and there has been a what-if cloud over the Knicks ever since. What if they never made the trade and let Gallinari, Mozgov, Raymond Felton and Wilson Chandler finish what they started last season?
The Nuggets have flourished since the trade, going 30-12 in the regular season while the Knicks have stumbled to a 20-24 record.
But the Knicks had a chance to feel good about themselves for one night even after squandering a 12-point second-quarter lead.
The Knicks were up three late in the first overtime and had what seemed to be a big defensive stand as they slapped the ball away from the Nuggets. But Andre Miller recovered it and heaved a desperate 37-foot shot as the shot clock was winding down to tie it at 103 with 1:25 left.
"It seems like we got a little bit of a gorilla on our back," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We've got to get it off."
After the game, Anthony rotated his sprained left wrist and contemplated his immediate future. He's shot 35-for-105 in his last four games.
"It's obvious I'm beat up," he said. "I don't want to use that as an excuse. If I'm out there, I'm playing, I'm doing what I can do. Maybe it's a time to reevaluate everything, reevaluate my body, see what the trainers say. Maybe it's time to reevaluate that."
