Carmelo aggravates right elbow problem
MIAMI - Carmelo Anthony says he might have to play with a right elbow issue for the rest of the season, but he declared himself in "without a doubt'' for Sunday night's marquee matchup against LeBron James and the Heat.
"I might not be 100 percent for the next couple of weeks,'' Anthony said, "but that ain't going to stop me from doing what I do, playing basketball.''
Anthony burst the bursa sac in his right elbow earlier this season and aggravated the injury while going for a rebound early in the fourth quarter of Friday night's loss in Cleveland. He took himself out of the game with 10:44 left and had the elbow packed in ice.
He returned only two minutes later and shot 1-for-4 in the quarter, committing four fouls. He fouled out with 24.3 seconds left and finished with 27 points and eight rebounds.
Afterward, Anthony - who is averaging 27.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games with the Knicks - said the elbow was sore and swollen. It has given him trouble in the past. He missed three games in the 2008-09 season because of a contusion, and he bruised it again during the 2009 playoffs and played through it.
Anthony went through practice here Saturday, his second with the team since Tuesday's trade, but did not do much shooting. In fact, any shots he did take were lefthanded. Anthony wears a compression sleeve on his left arm and also had one on the right arm during practice, along with a pad under the elbow.
Anthony said he has no plans to get the elbow drained or treated. "I don't like going under the knife, man. I don't like that kind of stuff,'' he said. "Right now, I'm going to stick it out.''