Anthony’s 27 points lift Thunder past LA

Carmelo Anthony dressed sharp, a three-quarters-length maroon coat and an upscale hunter’s cap that on this night trumped Russell Westbrook’s white cape. Hard to say whether the chic look made Carmelo older or younger. He’s got sort of a timeless appearance.

Except on the court. Carmelo has an old man’s game.

Carmelo can’t move like

he used to. Can’t jump as high. Can’t cut as quick. Sometimes, Carmelo looks like he’d be more at home in a rec-league halfcourt game. That’s what 15 NBA seasons will do to you.

Sometimes, the league seems to be telling Carmelo it’s younger and faster, just like those sassy girls told Kathy Bates in “Fried Green Tomatoes.” You know. Right before she rammed her sedan into their Volkswagen. “Face it,” she told them. “I’m older and I have more insurance.”

That’s what Carmelo does every once in awhile. Takes his jumpshot and rams it into opponents. Tells the league to face it. He’s older and has more game.

That’s what Carmelo told the whippersnapper Lakers on Wednesday night. Carmelo scored 27 points in 27 minutes and, most impressively, took only 15 shots as the Thunder routed Los Angeles 114-90.

And you’re reminded of why it was such a big deal when the Thunder acquired Carmelo back in September. On certain nights, in certain situations, he still can score like few who ever have trod an NBA hardwood.

“His age may look old, but he ain’t old,” teammate Patrick Patterson said of the 33-year-old Anthony. “We know he can put up 50 points a game if he wanted to. If his shot’s falling, we’re going to find him as much as possible. And tonight, he was hot.”

Carmelo had an efficient first half against the Lakers — 6-of-8 shooting, 16 points — then blew open the game late in the third quarter with four baskets in a five-possession span that ballooned OKC’s lead from 82-70 to 93-70.

Carmelo scored on spot-up 3-pointers and back-down jumpers against mismatches. The Lakers don’t play much defense, but you really can’t help but play good defense against Carmelo. He doesn’t move enough to get too open. He just shoots over guys no matter how good position they’ve forged, and on some magical nights, the ball goes in like it’s 2009 all over again.

“I think anytime you’re making shots, you feel good about yourself, you feel good about what you’re doing and what the team is doing,” Carmelo said. “Tonight was one of those nights when the shot was falling and the game was fun.”

Carmelo actually opened the season averaging 23.8 points and shooting 46.9 percent through six games. But the Thunder clearly wasn’t cohesive offensively. OKC needed Russell Westbrook to take over more and Carmelo to shoot less. In early December, Carmelo says, he accepted his third-wheel role and has been content.

Six times this season, Carmelo has taken at least 20 shots. None since Dec. 9. This was Carmelo’s 15th time to score over 20 points; only five have come since Dec. 9.

“Once you accept something, regardless of what it is, you become comfortable with it,” Carmelo said. “I think you start putting your all into it. You start working on that role, on that acceptance, and it becomes fun.”

Particularly games like Wednesday night.

Carmelo wasn’t just looking to shoot against the Lakers. In the first quarter, he flipped two lob passes that were dunked in, by Steven Adams and Paul George, respectively.

This is the Carmelo the Thunder hoped to have when it shipped Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott to New York in September.

And this is the Carmelo that could pay off in the playoffs, when defenses stiffen and quality shots are hard to find and sometimes a guy who can just will the ball into the basket is worth his weight.

Of course, these are the Lakers, so this was the furthest thing from a playoff game you could find. Carmelo’s defensive deficiencies aren’t exposed in a game against a Tyler Ennis-quarterbacked team, though Julius Randle tested that theory with a 14-point second quarter.

But Andre Roberson was back and active, which fortifies the Thunder defense and makes Carmelo’s shortcomings less apparent. When you’ve got three elite defenders on the floor — Roberson, Adams, George — then a make-a-basket/ give-up-a-basket player like Carmelo is fine to have around.

And on some nights, he turns back the clock and reminds the league that he might be older, but he has more game.