Carmelo namuno sa panalo ng Nuggets

DENVER — Bago sumabak sa kanilang road games, binigyan muna ni Carmelo Anthony ang kanilang home crowd ng dahilan para siya purihin.

Sa harap ng kanilang mga fans sa Pepsi Center, tumipa si Anthony ng 36 points para pangunahan ang Denver Nuggets sa 121-107 panalo laban sa bisitang Indiana Pacers.

Si Anthony ay naging sentro ng pambubuska ng mga Nuggets fans matapos malagay sa trade talk noong nakaraang mga linggo.

Mula sa kanyang 23-point show sa third quarter, tampok rito ang anim na three-point shots, hindi na siya kinainisan ng mga Denver fans.

Tinalo ng Pacers ang Nuggets, 144-113, noong Nobyembre sa Indianapolis.

“We owed that team and we were looking to pay them back,” wika ni Nuggets’ guard Chauncey Billups.

“It was embarrassing,” sabi naman ni Anthony. “Not just for me, but for the team. So, of course, that motivated me tonight.”

Sinabi naman ni Pacers coach Jim O’Brien na pinagbantay niya si Paul George kay Anthony sa third quarter dahil may tatlong fouls na si Danny Granger.

“Not when he’s shooting 25 percent from out there,” ani O’Brien kay Anthony. “So, that’s the shot we’re going to give him.”

Ang limang 3-pointers sa kanyang rookie season noong 2003 ang pinakamaraming naisalpak ni Anthony sa 3-point range.

“I don’t know if it was the trade rumors slowing down (but) he was making a lot of shots,” wika ni Tyler Hansbrough. “He had some open looks and made the shots. He is Carmelo Anthony and he’s going to make shots.”

Nagdagdag si Nene ng 15 points at 10 rebounds para sa Nuggets, habang may 27 points at 10 boards naman si Hansbrough para sa Pacers.