Carmelo Anthony might sit out to rest troublesome left knee
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Knicks president Phil Jackson talk during training camp at the Madison Square Garden training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. Credit: Andrew Theodorakis
Carmelo Anthony was getting his left knee worked on and re-taped just moments before the opening tip and received plenty of treatment on it after the game.
Anthony said his troublesome knee isn't any worse, but didn't rule out sitting out Wednesday night in San Antonio or taking some time off to try and get it feeling better.
"I think at this point, it's just a matter of sitting down with the training staff and the coaches and seeing what's best for everybody," Anthony said following the Knicks' 104-93 loss to the Pelicans.
"If it's best for me to sit out and take some time off and get it right, then that's the decision I have to make.
"[But] they're going to have to pull me out because I'm not going to make that decision on my own."
Anthony said the knee started bothering him the second game of the season. To this point, he's played through the pain. The two games he's missed this season were because of back spasms.
Anthony took only 11 shots Tuesday night, and finished with 17 points and no assists. The Pelicans' defense contributed but Anthony never said he was fine.
"I think at this point, it's a matter of evaluating and seeing," he said. "Some days are going to be better than others. It's just a matter of if I want to continue to play on it and the pain threshold I can take."
The Knicks are off to a franchise-worst 4-19 start. Anthony was asked if it made sense to take some time off now to come back stronger.
"The flip side to that is we are losing games," he said. "I never was a player to sit out when things are going bad or when things are going good. I hate to sit on the sideline and watch my teammates go out and battle."
He said he would see how it feels following treatment Wednesday to determine for sure whether he'll play Wednesday night.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
