Carmelo Anthony and the Portland Trailblazers lost against the power of the Los Angeles Lakers who are advancing to the semis.
Goodbyes are always hard whether it be in sports or in real life.
Melo fans could have seen the swan song of the former All-Star. It was an epic one for all it matters. Also, it couldn’t have a better ending because of a tussle against his highschool rival, Lebron James.
The two went at it like they were in their younger years. It was beautiful to see and it could be the last time that such a showcase can be witnessed.
Carmelo Anthony showed up for the Blazers
Ever since the season started, Carmelo Anthony has been written off. Sports analysts thought that the Blazers were just simply desperate. They thought that the Blazers just needed a veteran to buoy the team forward. What they didn’t realize was that the Blazers saw a potential resurgence from Melo.
True enough, Anthony didn’t fail the Blazers’ expectations. Right out of the gates, he helped the team with stable shooting and a strong presence in the paint. He held his ground up to the Blazer’s final battle against the Lakers in the NBA bubble.
LeBron and Melo get together postgame
Much respect ✊ pic.twitter.com/711ulOpEF8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 30, 2020
In his last Playoffs game this season, Melo scored 27 points and 7 rebounds going 56.3% from the field. His shooting form was excellent and ran the floor looking like he has regained the springs on his knees. Overall, Carmelo played 40 heavy minutes against the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers regaining shape
The Lakers were back in their form behind Davis’ and Lebron’s monster game. They made sure that the Blazers would not have any momentum to pull off another upset. James ended the game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 33 minutes of playing time.
On the other hand, Anthony Davis posted a monstrous 43 points and 9 rebounds. Both James and Davis shot the ball extremely well at 73% and 76% respectively.
Game 5 seemed like it would go down to the wire up to the last seven minutes of the game. The game was toe-to-toe up to that point, but the Lakers have had enough. They crushed all hopes that the Blazers were building.
Cj McCollum did everything he can to carry the team, but the duo of James and Davis was just too much. He ended his final game of the season with 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. McCollum almost didn’t sit throughout the game. He played a total of 46 minutes while playing through his injured back.
The Los Angeles Lakers will face whoever comes out of the series between the Rockets and the Thunder.
Image from 2020 NBA Playoffs/ YouTube thumbnail