TOMASSON: Gervin, Thompson recall high-scoring feats of their own

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 11, 2008 at 11 p.m.

Text size

Poll

What’s next for the Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony after his NBA record-tying 33-point, one-quarter scoring effort?

Photo by Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky

Carmelo Anthony was humbled by his record-tying performance.

More Sports Columns & Blogs

More stories »

Nearly as fast as Carmelo Anthony was scoring Wednesday night, the news was traveling to San Antonio.

George Gervin, the Hall of Famer and now a Spurs community-relations official, was out and about. The phone rang and it was Gervin's son, George Gervin Jr., with word that dad's NBA mark had been tied.

"He told me Carmelo Anthony had just tied your record of 33 points in a quarter," Gervin said. "He must have had Casper the Friendly Ghost guarding him just like I had Casper the Friendly Ghost guarding me."

The Nuggets forward put up 33 of his 45 points in the third quarter against Minnesota to tie the mark the Spurs guard set in the second quarter on April 9, 1978, at New Orleans.

How old was the record Gervin broke?

About six hours.

"That's the shortest record ever," said former Nuggets guard and Hall of Famer David Thompson, who had set the mark with 32 points in the first quarter at Detroit on the afternoon of April 9, 1978, only to have Gervin break it that night.

Anthony's showing brought back memories of the epic scoring duel between Gervin and Thompson on that final day of the regular season. Thompson finished with 73 points, but Gervin came back with 63 to win the closest race ever, with a 27.22 average to Thompson's 27.15.

"I was out and got back and was watching the fourth quarter," Thompson said from his Charlotte, N.C., home about Anthony breaking his record. "The announcers were saying then Carmelo had 42 points, and they said he had 33 in the third quarter. . . . But you would have thought he would have had more for the game. I was surprised."

So was Gervin, but for another reason.

"I didn't expect it'd be Carmelo (tying the mark)," Gervin said. "I thought it would be Kobe (Bryant) or Dwyane Wade or LeBron (James). But Carmelo put the ball in the hole. That's a pretty hard feat. Records are made to be broken."

Or at least tied.

Gervin plans to congratulate Anthony at February's All-Star Game in Phoenix.

Thompson also plans to laud Anthony in Phoenix. Of course, there might be some bantering over which of these players had the hottest quarter.

Anthony shot 12-of-15, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Thompson was 13-of-14, with the three-pointer not yet in the NBA.

"About eight or nine of them were jumpers," Thompson said. "The only shot I missed was a dunk. Ben Poquette got a hand on it, and it rolled out. . . . But Melo was pretty awesome. I really like Carmelo. He's one of my favorite players."

While Thompson claimed he only focused on trying to win the scoring crown after his phenomenal first quarter, Gervin doesn't deny that was his goal from the start.

Then-San Antonio coach Doug Moe, now a Nuggets consultant, drew up every play for Gervin. Nuggets coach George Karl, who was then a Spurs assistant but on the road that night scouting, said Moe was "yelling at players who took shots away from Gervin."

"I was real hot," Gervin said of his second quarter, which gave him 53 points at halftime and allowed him to take most of the second half off - the scoring title won. "And we didn't have the three-ball then. . . . I'm going to congratulate Carmelo, but I'll tell him I got another record in scoring 63 points in just 33 minutes."

Anthony got 33, too. And he's proud of it.

No regrets

It was the summer of 2006, and James had a plan.

With fellow 2003 draftees Anthony, Miami's Wade and Toronto's Chris Bosh on the verge of signing five-year maximum contract extensions with the ability to terminate the last season and become free agents in 2011, the Cleveland star had a three-year deal with a player option for a fourth drawn up that would allow him to become a free agent in 2010.

In addition to the chance of entering free agency earlier, the thinking was that James could make more money in 2010-11, when he has played seven seasons and could sign a new deal worth 30 percent of the salary cap. There was also some concern about salary rules being different in 2011, with the NBA having the ability to opt out of the final season (2011-12) of the current collective-bargaining agreement.

After James' move, Wade and Bosh also went with shorter deals. But Anthony didn't play follow the leader.

Does Anthony have any regrets while teams jockey for cap room in 2010 and he must wait at least another year to test the market?

"I'm good with my situation right now," said Anthony, whose five-year deal is worth $78.9 million, although he can opt out of the $18.5 million due in the final season of 2011-12. "I ain't worried about it. I did this deal because I wanted to. It ain't something I'm regretting."

It's uncertain what economics will be like in 2010 and 2011, with a chance that trying times could push the salary cap down. For now, Anthony doesn't mind not being peppered with questions about 2010, a fate the other 2003 draftees can't avoid.

"I wouldn't answer them questions," Anthony said of the queries James is getting.

All-Star Iverson?

It was written here last month that Allen Iverson's chances to start the All-Star Game could be hampered due to potential difficulties following an interconference trade after paper ballots had been printed.

But the Detroit guard, acquired Nov. 3 from Denver, has little to worry about. Initial returns show Iverson solidly in line to be an East starter, having 492,093 votes, with Wade (623,311) first and New Jersey's Vince Carter (236,634) third.

This shows the tremendous popularity surrounding Iverson, bound for his ninth start in 10 years. Still, this looks to be the one season Iverson, averaging a career-low 17.5 points and with his Pistons struggling, doesn't deserve to start.

Quarter kings

The top scoring performances in NBA history for one quarter.

Total Player Team Points Quarter Date Opponent points

Carmelo Anthony Denver 33 Third Dec. 10, 2008 Minnesota 45

George Gervin San Antonio 33 Second April 9, 1978 New Orleans 63

David Thompson Denver 32 First April 9, 1978 Detroit 73

Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia 31 Fourth March 2, 1962 New York 100

BY THE NUMBERS

223NBA coaching changes since Jerry Sloan took over as Utah's coach Dec. 9, 1988.

LITTLE FAME AS COACHES

Hall of Fame players have made little impact lately as NBA coaches. When Minnesota tabbed Kevin McHale this week, he became the NBA's only active coach to have been a Hall of Fame player.

The only active one last season was the since fired Isiah Thomas. There's little need to remind anyone Thomas' Knicks didn't exactly dominate.

No Hall of Fame player has won a title as a coach since Boston's K.C. Jones in 1986. Since then, the only Hall of Fame players to have lasted even a full season on the bench have been Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, Dan Issel, Jones, Willis Reed, Thomas, Wes Unseld and Lenny Wilkens.

Come back in April 2010 to see if McHale can at least make it through a full campaign.

HE SAID IT

"I know I'm playing as well as anybody in the league, that's no secret. But I've got to continue to help this team win, to get over that hump."

Dwyane Wade, Miami guard, who is averaging 29.5 points and 7.5 assists, on needing to beef up the Heat's 12-9 record to become a strong MVP candidate.

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News