Carmelo Anthony Rejects David Lee with Block in Knicks-Celtics Preseason Game

Carmelo Anthony, who's been tirelessly working on his defense, turned his words into action on Friday during the New York Knicks' preseason game against the Boston Celtics. Melo rejected David Lee's attempt for a two-pointer in the paint with a nasty block.

Even though the New York Knicks lost their first preseason game against the undefeated Charlotte Hornets late Saturday night, the Knicks have managed to prove themselves as they've vastly improved their game compared to last season. The Knicks have made plenty of claims regarding improvement, and so far they've delivered.

According to Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal, Carmelo has asked the Knicks staff to call him out and hold him accountable for the times when his defense is lacking.

"Call it out in the film session so everybody can see that and hear that. By them doing that, it kind of forces me to be at the top level of my game on both ends of the court," Anthony said after the Knicks' 94-88 preseason victory over the Sixers on Monday, as reported by ESPN via Slam Online. "I think it brings the best out of me and if you bring the best out of me, I think it will bring the best out of everyone on the team."

Clearly, Anthony is a man of his word, as he made one of the biggest defensive plays of the 2015-2016 NBA Preseason, as he blocked David Lee's layup attempt during Friday's, 101-95, preseason win against the Boston Celtics.

Now, Melo may have been slightly lacking on the offensive end, as he only scored 8 points, and missed 10 of his 14 shots, according to Ball is Life. At least his defensive game was intense and contagious, as it led to a block party; the two teams managed to score a total of 14 blocks (as reported by Elite Sports New York) combined during Friday's match up.

You can watch Melo's beautiful yet nasty block below:

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