Not that you can completely shut down Mika Vukona, of course. He is too good for that. And Anthony is quick to point out it is the Otago Nuggets playing the Nelson Giants in the semifinal of the National Basketball League in Napier tonight - not Anthony v Vukona.
It is only one of the many fascinating match-ups.
Experienced shooting guard Hayden Allen will resume his long-running battle with Nelson's Phill Jones. Jones has played 348 NBL games and if his side can reach the final, he will join league great Willie Burton as the only player to reach 350 games.
Nuggets small forward Akeem Wright has a reputation as a tight defender and his contest with the competition's leading scoring, Josh Pace, will be a game within a game.
But the match-up that probably has most people excited is Anthony v Vukona.
They are former Breakers and Tall Black team-mates and friends off the court. But that cordial relationship will go on hold during the game.
''He has been one of my favourite players,'' Anthony said.
''I've always looked up to him and he has always been someone I've tried to emulate.
''I would say it is his tenacity [that makes him so good]. He just never quits and would play on one leg if he had to, and he has done that before.
''I'm looking forward to it. We always get pretty physical with each other. But with Mika you have to try and out-skill him rather than try and run through him.
''It is not a case of me v Mika, either. It is the Nuggets v the Giants. A player like Mika, you can never fully shut down.
''We are just going to have to do our best to grind it out because it is not going to be an easy game at all.''
The Nuggets thumped the Giants 92-59 in Dunedin in May, but went down 87-82 in return fixture in Nelson.
Ominously, Vukona found his best form with 22 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in the 119-100 win over the Southland Sharks last weekend. He is averaging 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. He also leads his team in assists with 2.9.
Anthony has had a terrific season, averaging 20.3 points and eight rebounds. But the last few weeks have been tough going. He has also got into foul trouble too often for his own liking.
The Nuggets, too, have had to endure a slump, losing heavily to the Sharks and Wellington Saints - the two teams which will contest the other semifinal tonight.
''It was bad timing in the season but you can't worry about that now. What we have to do is go back to square one. It starts inside the huddle. It starts with practice and we have to bring that same intensity to the games.''
As far as staying out of foul trouble, Anthony said it came down to better discipline.
''You are always going to get a couple of calls you don't think you deserve, so it is a matter of not getting the ones I can control. Not picking up early fouls is the key, I guess.''
And can the Nuggets win?
''Yeah. It is two games. Anyone can win two games, especially with a team as talented as ours. If me, Akeem and Tis [Antoine Tisby] get rolling like we can, no-one can stop us.''
History is on the Giants' side with 37 wins from 47 games. The Nuggets, though, won the only playoff game between the two teams - a memorable 78-77 win in the 1991 semifinal. Jerome Fitchett landed a three-point buzzer-beater to secure the win and his place in Otago basketball folklore.
NBL semifinal: The squads
Nuggets: Antoine Tisby, BJ Anthony, Akeem Wright, Riki Buckrell, Mark Dickel (captain), Hayden Allen, Brendon Polyblank, Luke Aston, James Ross, Matt Trueman, Hayden Miller.
Giants: Josh Pace, Erron Maxey, Phill Jones, Mika Vukona, Brook Ruscoe, Josh Bloxham, Darryl Jones, Rory Fannon, Sam Dempster, Finn Delany.
