Melo lights up Garden

When Melo's jumper is working as well as it has been on this road trip, he's nearly impossible to guard. If you try and stop his jumper, he'll just fly right by his defender and gets to the rim, either drawing a foul, or earning a lay-up or dunk. Doesn't matter if the defense is zone or man, and there are 2 or even 3 guys dedicated to stopping him.

Against the Knicks, Melo showed an array of moves and shots, making it look easy, just like he did as a Syracuse Orangeman on the hollowed MSG court. Knicks fans have had a rough year, but Melo's 13-21 shooting and 9-12 free throws kept them in awe and entertained for much of this game. Melo finished with 35 points in 36 minutes on the court.

The Knicks hung around for the first half, not looking like the team with the worst record in the NBA, but when the Nuggets asserted themselves in the third quarter defensively and found that extra gear, the Knicks could not keep up. Marcus Camby had 18 boards and 5 blocks against his former team to lead the defensive effort.

Martin played in his second game in a row (which has been a tough feat for him lately) but was only able to go 9 minutes before sitting for the duration of the game. He left with 4 points and 1 rebound. He looked frustrated and emotional when he sat down on the bench.

Najera had his best game since his knee surgery with 10 points and 2 rebounds - good to see. After the game he said that the swelling in his knee is less and less each day.

Game Summary written by: aswitzer

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