Watch: Carmelo Anthony Tries to Clear Josh Hart Away for Jalen Brunson’s Huge Clutch 3 vs 76ers

Sameen Nawathe | 27/02/2025
Carmelo Anthony (L), Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (R)

One of the perks of playing basketball in New York is the number of celebrities you see courtside. Yesterday, the Knicks players got to see the legendary Carmelo Anthony provide some masterful calls while sitting behind the basket as they held off a strong 76ers comeback in the win.

Melo, who had his share of clutch shots at MSG, was actually instrumental in the Knicks‘ win last night, but not in the way he’d have expected.

With 1:36 left in the 4th quarter and the score tied, Jalen Brunson was bringing the ball down the floor, trying to get free and get a shot off. Melo, who was eagerly watching, tried to shout at Josh Hart, telling him to clear the floor and let Brunson work in an iso-move.

Hart wasn’t looking in his direction, but maybe he heard Melo because he proceeded to vacate the wing, allowing Brunson the space required to drill his clutch bucket.

Of course, as a specialist iso player himself, Melo knew exactly what a player of Brunson’s caliber would require and made sure Hart would give him that.

With Brunson backing his defender, Tyrese Maxey, into the left wing, he indicated to Hart that he wanted some space to go to work. Melo was yelling the exact same thing, and Hart did as instructed.

Fans had a field day with this too, replying on the New York Basketball social media post to joke about Melo’s behavior.

One of them pointed out how Melo’s experience was critical to that move, claiming it was similar to a shot he hit against Chicago in the same arena. “How fitting.. reminds me of Melo 3 vs the Bulls,” he said.

Another eagle-eyed observer claimed Melo was doing the same thing in Team USA’s Olympic Game against Serbia: “Melo did the same with KD during the USA/Serbia lol.”

A third decided to go down the nostalgia route, and wondered what a team with Carmelo Anthony and Brunson would look like, commenting, “Prime Melo + Brunson woulda have been.”

Brunson’s 3 kickstarted a huge run for the Knicks, who eventually went on to score 5 more points in the last minute, securing the 110-105 victory.

Post Edited By: Jodi Whisenhunt
Carmelo Anthony Jalen Brunson josh hart New York Knicks

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Sameen Nawathe

Sameen Nawathe is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Drawing from his extensive background in editing his university publications, Sameen brings a distinguished level of professionalism and editorial acumen to his position. With over a decade of practical sporting knowledge, he adeptly curates a spectrum of content, ranging from foundational sports highlights to insightful analysis of potential NBA trades. Sameen's passion for basketball ignited with LeBron James, whom he credits for sparking his love for the game. He fondly reminisces about James' 2018 season, which he often describes as "the best display of pure hoops we've ever seen". When he's not immersed in the world of writing or playing basketball, Sameen can be found enjoying Taylor Swift's music or passionately supporting Manchester United during soccer matches.

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