Injury Update

Jonah Ballow

As the Knicks prepared to meet the defending champs in San Antonio, Carmelo Anthony met with reporters prior to tipoff to discuss his lingering knee issues.  Anthony decided to rest and sit out Wednesday’s contest on the second of a back-to-back.

“I’m going to sit down with the team, the doctors, and just try to figure it out, sit down with the coaches, just try to figure it out.  There is no plan as of right now,” Anthony answered.

Following the defeat in Milwaukee, Anthony mentioned the knee discomfort but he continued to fight through the pain until another injury forced him out of the lineup five days later in Houston.  Back spams sidelined Anthony for the second half of the game against the Rockets and the next two games on the road before he returned to face the Heat on November 30.

New York’s leading scorer said the rest in late November actually helped his knee pain and he felt much better when jumping back on the floor at the Garden to conclude the month. 

Anthony will figure the next course of action as the Knicks square off against the Spurs and finish the three-game road trip in Boston.

“I will explore as many other options as I can before I go under the knife and get surgery because I can’t even tell you exactly what is the problem,” Anthony cautiously said.

Head coach Derek Fisher is hopeful Anthony can join the squad for the Celtics game on Friday night.

 “I think overall, it’s impacting him quite a bit just not in terms of doing things out there physically,” Fisher acknowledged.  “I think more important than the game is non-gamedays, limiting practice time, and limiting his ability to develop and keep some rhythm and cohesion with his teammates because really just in the game is the most time they’re on the floor together."

injury-update-melo-sits-in-san-antonio

Injury Update: Melo Sits In San Antonio

nbaplatformservices

carmelo-anthony-provides-injury-update

Carmelo Anthony Provides Injury Update

On Monday night, Carmelo Anthony couldn’t even speak, take a drink, or scratch his head due to intense back spasms.  So, the fact Anthony participated in a fairly normal pregame workout on Friday night in Oklahoma City is a significant development.

“I’m just happy that I can get a little light workout in today and just really work towards getting back out there on the court,” Anthony explained to reporters prior to the Knicks contest against the Thunder.

Anthony was forced to leave the game in Houston after he landed on a routine jumper and suddenly felt immense pain due to back spasms.  The severity of the situation led to Anthony making a trip to a local hospital to receive medication just so he could make the plane ride to Dallas.  He did not suit up for New York in the overtime defeat to the Mavericks on Wednesday evening.  Friday night was the first time Anthony was able to muster up the power to step back on the floor.

“From not being able to straighten my back up to not even being able to get out of bed to walking and shooting a little bit, so I’ve made huge strides in the past couple of days,” Anthony stated.

The All-Star was told the back spasms are not related to a previous injury and it’s muscle related as opposed to a disk issue.  Unfortunately, he’s still dealing with some spasms as the medical staff is attempting to alleviate the pain.  Anthony will not play against the Thunder and will miss his second straight game.

“I’m worried about how my back is going to react to what I just did right now, so I’ll go in there and get some more treatment and see how it feels tonight and the morning,” Anthony answered when discussing the possibility of appearing in Sunday’s contest at MSG.

The Knicks will travel tomorrow morning back to New York and face the Heat on Sunday night at the Garden.  Stay tuned to NYKnicks.com and @NYKnicks.com for coverage. 

carmelo-anthony-participates-in-pregame-workout-ive-made-huge-strides

Carmelo Anthony Participates In Pregame Workout: “I’ve Made Huge Strides”

Carmelo Anthony walked gingerly into American Airlines arena on Wednesday night while his squad prepared to face the Mavericks in Dallas.  The All-Star has been suffering from back spasms since Monday night in Houston where the issue arose after a jumper late in the second quarter. 

On Wednesday, Anthony said, "I feel sore, stiff."  He added, "It's gotten a little better, but today was the first day that I actually got to walk around a little bit."

This is the first time Anthony has dealt with back spasms and the Knicks leading scorer remains cautious when projecting a return date to the floor.  The Knicks complete the three-game road trip in Oklahoma City with a matchup against the Thunder on Friday evening. "They [medical staff] said these things are hard to gauge - I just don't know how long I'll be out," Anthony stated.

Injury Update

Injury Update: Melo Sits In San Antonio

Carmelo Anthony Provides Injury Update

Carmelo Anthony Participates In Pregame Workout: “I’ve Made Huge Strides”

Carmelo Anthony Injury Update