Carmelo Anthony may currently be out of the league but let's not forget he was one of the most elite scorers the NBA has ever seen.
On this date in 2008, Anthony had an offensive explosion that tied an NBA record that had been set by the Iceman George Gervin 30 seasons before.
Melo dropped 33 points in the third period tying the highest-scoring quarter in NBA history en route to a game-high 45 and a Denver Nuggets 116-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Nuggets went to the halftime break down 56-44 and needed a spark to start the third frame to get back in the game. Chauncey Billups got things started for Denver in the third with a triple and then became a willing spectator as Carmelo Anthony would score 33 of the team's next 37 points. Melo outscored the entire Timberwolves team 33-22 in the period as the Nuggets would cruise to the victory.
“I’ve seen some good quarters,” Billups said after the game via the Denver Post. “That was the best I’ve ever seen.”
In the quarter Anthony shot 12-for-15 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range.
“My 3-ball was going in, driving to the basket, getting fouled — just a complete game tonight,” said Anthony on the night. “That was a good sign out there tonight.”
Anthony's explosive quarter was later surpassed by Klay Thompson in 2015 when he went for 37 points in one period in a Golden State Warriors' win over the Sacramento Kings.
Of the five biggest scoring quarters in league history, three of them have come in the third period.
Biggest Scoring Quarters in NBA History
| Date | Player | Points | Quarter |
| Jan 23, 2015 | Klay Thompson | 37 | Third |
| Dec. 10, 2008 | Carmelo Anthony | 33 | Third |
| April 9, 1978 | George Gervin | 33 | Second |
| April 9, 1978 | David Thompson | 32 | First |
| Dec. 16, 2013 | Joe Johnson | 29 | Third |
Before Anthony tied the mark, the record was actually set twice in one night on April 9, 1978. David Thompson and Gervin were going head to head on the last night of the regular season for the scoring title.
Thompson went off in the first quarter for 32 setting the record and finished with 73 points, seemingly securing the scoring title. Gervin needed 58 points to get the scoring crown from Thompson — he dropped 33 points in the third quarter to break the record that had been set just hours before and finished with 63 to win the scoring championship.
Imagine if we had Twitter back then.