Report Card: Carmelo Anthony gets a chance to smile

Each night, Eye on Basketball brings you what you need to know about the games of the NBA. From great performances to terrible clock management the report card evaluates and eviscerates the good, the bad, and the ugly from the night that was.

By Ben Golliver

Mar 29, 2012 at 2:16 am ET • 2 min read

Carmelo Anthony led New York to a convincing win on Wednesday. (Getty Images)

	Carmelo Anthony's Knicks	As Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported, it was a big night for Melo in the Big Apple, as the inconsistent All-Star shot 9-for-15 from the field, his best shooting percentage since January, and carried a Knicks team playing without Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin to a blowout victory over the Orlando Magic. Anthony was an astonishing +33 in just 26 minutes. Romper room stuff.
	San Antonio Spurs	It's that time of year when veteran contenders stomp on young lottery teams, and that was the case in California, where San Antonio mowed down the Kings 117-112. The Spurs executed at full tilt, moving the ball with ease to the tune of 28 assists and 53.8 percent shooting from the field. The Spurs' 55-20 bench scoring differential was pretty ridiculous. Giving up 112 points, including 34 in the fourth quarter, might be cause for mild concern, even on the road. Kings guard Isaiah Thomas proved especially difficult to contain, lighting it up for 28 points on just 19 shots.
	Minnesota Timberwolves	On the one hand, they slogged through a fairly ugly game against the doormat Charlotte Bobcats, one in which no team topped 26 points in a quarter. They committed 14 turnovers and Derrick Williams and Wayne Ellington combined to shoot 2-16 for 5 points. On the other hand, Minnesota got the road win, watched three opponents in the Western Conference playoff chase lost and enjoyed Kevin Love saving the day once again with a monstrous 40-point, 19-rebound effort. This one doesn't exactly count as uplifting, but it's a nice relief.
	Golden State Warriors	The Warriors are tanking -- you know it, I know it, everyone knows it -- but losing by 15 points at home to the New Orleans Hornets, the Western Conference's worst team, is a bit extreme. This one is another feather in the cap for Monty Williams, who continues to demand results from a hapless group regardless of the circumstances. How ineffective was Golden State on defense? New Orleans' 102 points just the second time they've topped 100 points in a game that didn't go to overtime since Feb. 1.
	Indiana Pacers	No excuses for losing by 16 to the 17-win Nets, at least not with a day of rest beforehand. Indiana couldn't hit a shot from deep -- finishing just 6-for-20 -- and Danny Granger was just 2-for-8 for 5 points. Brutal. The Pacers close March with a 7-8 record, a veritable slide after a solid start.