Lack of whistles has Carmelo Anthony crying foul

SALT LAKE CITY — Carmelo Anthony wants more whistles, and believes he should get them because of how physical he plays.

“I always get fouled,” Anthony said. “That’s what is frustrating to me. You play so hard, you work so hard, and then you don’t benefit from that. Then you look at other guys that you touch, or you look at them wrong, and they get fouls. So it’s a frustrating thing for me as a guy who likes to go to the basket and likes to play in the paint and likes to be physical and play physical.

Anthony, was frustrated during and after the Knicks’ loss to Dallas Monday. He received a technical foul for arguing when he didn’t get a call. He said that’s adding to his frustration.

“They just tell me that I’m the most difficult player to referee in the NBA,” he said. “I’ve heard that a couple times. ‘It’s unclear on who’s creating the contact.’ My goal is to go to the basket. My goal is to go toward the basket, so if I’m creating the contact going towards the basket and I get hit, then it’s a foul.”

Anthony said he won’t try to flop to get calls though.

“I don’t know how to flop,” he said. “Nowadays guys get hit, they know how to flop. They put their head back. I don’t know how to do that. A lot of times I get hit and I still continue to get to my spots just because I’m big and strong.

“I won’t even look right trying to do that. I won’t even feel right trying to do that move.”

Watching the Warriors

Like everyone else, Anthony has been paying attention to the Warriors’ historic 23-0 start. “It’s something I haven’t seen since I’ve been in the NBA,” Anthony said. “People haven’t seen this since ’96-’97 when the Bulls were on that run like that. It’s very impressive for them, for the game of basketball, for the fans.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.