2005–06 season
Anthony played and started in 80 games during the 2005–06 season. He averaged 26.5 points (eighth, NBA), 2.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. His eighth-place finish in NBA scoring was the highest finish by a Denver player since the 1990–91 season, when Nuggets guard Michael Adams finished the season sixth in NBA scoring. On November 23, 2005, with the Nuggets facing the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons, Anthony hauled down his 1,000th career rebound. A month later, Anthony recorded a then career-high 45 points in a losing effort against the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 17, 2006, versus the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored 33 points to push his career point total over the 5,000 mark.[46] Also, in doing so, he became the second youngest player to accomplish that feat (behind LeBron James). As the month of March came to a close, the Nuggets finished 11–5, and Anthony was named as the NBA Player of the Month for March. He also took home Player of the Week honors for March 13, 2006 – March 19, 2006.[47]
During the season, Anthony made five game-winning shots in the last five seconds: at Houston on January 8, 2006;[48] at home versus Phoenix on January 10;[49] at Minnesota on February 24;[50] at Indiana on March 15;[51] at home versus the Los Angeles Lakers on April 6.[52] All five of those game-winners were made on jump shots, while the shot against Minnesota was a three-point field goal. Anthony also made a shot in the final seconds to force overtime vs. the Dallas Mavericks on January 6.[53] He made shots in the final 22 seconds against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 18, 2006,[54] and the Philadelphia 76ers on March 9, which gave the Nuggets leads they would never lose.[55] Anthony was named to the All-NBA Third Team.[56]
The Nuggets finished the season in third place, winning the Northwest Division for the first time in Anthony's career. Denver faced the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the First Round of the playoffs. The Clippers held home court advantage in the series, due to ending the regular season with a better record (Denver finished 44–38; Los Angeles finished 47–35). The Clippers won the first two games of the series on their home floor.[57] The Nuggets split their games at home in Denver (winning game three; losing game four).[58] Denver then lost game five at Los Angeles, which eliminated the Nuggets from the playoffs.[59] After the season, Anthony signed a 5-year, $80 million extension with the Nuggets.[60]
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