Carmelo calls tonight 'almost a must win'
Carmelo Anthony (7) reacts to the game action during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden. (March 25, 2011) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
GREENBURGH -- Tonight's game against the Orlando Magic is "almost a must-win" for the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony declared this morning.
"It seems like we understand how important this game is to us," Anthony said after the Knicks held a rare game-day practice. "It's almost a must-win for us, to go out with that mentality. That's something I want to approach as a must-win game."
The Knciks enter tonight's game at Madison Square Garden having lost six in a row and nine of their last 10. Since the trade that brought Anthony and Chauncey Billups from Denver to the Knicks, the team is 7-12. Still, tonight's game mathematically isn't a must-win. With nine games left, the seventh-seeded Knicks have a 4 ½ game lead over ninth-place Charlotte and a 5 ½ game lead over Milwaukee. Those two teams play each other tonight.
When told of Anthony's comments, Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said it was more of a "must play-well" game than must-win.
"When you don't win, you think you will never win again," D'Antoni said. "We have to go out for 48 minutes and crush somebody."
When asked if he was worried about making it to the playoffs, Knicks president Donnie Walsh said "I'm always worried about that. You are not in the playoffs until you are in it."
Anthony doesn't sound worried yet about making the playoffs.
"We're not worried about the standings. It's more for our own confidence, our own satisfaction that this is a must-win for us."
