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."