Carmelo Anthony Slaps Spencer Hawes, In That Special Carmelo Anthony Way

Last night as most of us were watching Renee Zellweger maybe overdosing onstage at the Oscars, the New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in a semi-important game, since it put an end to New York's four-game skid. The most notable thing that happened, though, was midway through the third quarter when Carmelo Anthony got tied up under the basket with Sixer Spencer Hawes while fighting position.

For what originally seemed like no reason at all, Hawes turned around abruptly and went chest-to-chest with the Knicks' All-Star. Even though NBA players almost never fight, we thought for a moment we'd have an honest-to-God scrap on our hands, but then Anthony's teammate Tyson Chandler shoved Hawes backward and the refs got involved. On replay, though, Anthony can be seen slapping Hawes in the back of the head, because that's the sort of thing Carmelo Anthony does.

It's reminiscent of December 2006, when then-Nugget Anthony was suspended 15 games f or sucker punching Mardy Collins in a brawl against the Knicks, then scampering clear across the court with a 5-foot-8 Nate Robinson and 112-pound Jared Jeffries in hot pursuit, because Carmelo Anthony is most himself when he's backpedaling away from the shit he starts.