A researched consensus introduction to Carmelo Anthony's defining games.
Editorial methodology and sources
Cross-checked NBA, Knicks, Nuggets, Heat, Lakers, and Mavericks archives, official box scores, franchise histories, career retrospectives, and the signature performances repeatedly preserved in league collections. The list balances Anthony's pure scoring apex with late-shot authorship and postseason consequence across both franchises: Denver's deepest run supplies two games, while New York's scoring record, iconic Bulls duel, and drought-ending playoff victory complete the record.
- #1. Anthony scored a career-high 62 points without committing a turnover, breaking Bernard King's Knicks record and Kobe Bryant's modern Madison Square Garden record while adding 13 rebounds in a 125–96 victory. NBA: Carmelo scores 62 at Madison Square Garden · NBA official Bobcats–Knicks box score
- #2. Anthony scored 43 points against the East-leading Bulls, hitting a deep three to force overtime and another with eight seconds left to win one of the defining games of his Knicks tenure. NBA: Carmelo's tying and winning threes against Chicago · NBA official Bulls–Knicks game record
- #3. Anthony scored 31 points and buried the winning three with one second remaining in Dallas, completing Denver's final-minute comeback and taking a commanding 3–0 lead in the 2009 West semifinals. NBA Carmelo Anthony classics collection · NBA official Nuggets–Mavericks Game 3 record
- #4. Anthony scored 34 points with nine rebounds and four assists as Denver won 106–103 at Staples Center, tying the 2009 West finals and handing the eventual champions their only home loss of that postseason. Nuggets: Revisiting the 2009 West finals · NBA official Nuggets–Lakers Game 2 box score
- #5. Anthony scored 41 points and made the go-ahead three in the final minute against eventual champion Miami, ending New York's NBA-record 13-game postseason losing streak and extending the 2012 first-round series. NBA Carmelo Anthony classics collection · NBA official Heat–Knicks Game 4 record
Reviewed through 2026-07-18