Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will have his ailing shoulder looked out. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will have his ailing left shoulder looked by team doctors to see if there is any extensive damage to it, reports the New York Daily News. 

The reports says that the team is hoping that the injury is not serious and won’t require surgery.

Anthony had been playing with pain almost the entire postseason and was hurt in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics when Kevin Garnett pulled his arm trying to set a screen.

Anthony also had been dealing with a knee injury and had fluid drained from his right knee two months ago. The report says he won’t need surgery on the knee.

More from the Daily News:

Anthony originally injured his shoulder during an April 14th win over the Indiana Pacers. When the Knicks eliminated Boston in Game 6, Anthony reported that his left arm “popped in and out.”

He refused to use the injury as an excuse even though Anthony, the NBA’s scoring champion, struggled to make shots.

In the Knicks second round series loss to the Pacers, Anthony made 65 of 150 shots including 39 points on 15 for 29 shooting in Game 6.

Carmelo Anthony received one first-place vote for MVP, spoiling LeBron James’ shot at a unanimous selection. (Elsa/Getty Images)

LeBron James fell one vote short of making history as the first NBA player to be unanimously selected as MVP. Only one voter selected Carmelo Anthony for first place over James.

The dissenting voter identified himself on Monday morning: Gary Washburn, a Boston Globe sportswriter. Washburn released an article explaining why he voted for Anthony over James, after a series of accusations flew, including that he “went against the grain as some kind of statement.”

Washburn explained his reason for voting for Anthony had more to do with the Knicks’ success than James’ dominance. Washburn’s argument for Melo for MVP, from the Boston Globe:

“This isn’t the Best Player in the Game award, it’s the Most Valuable Player award, and I think what Anthony accomplished this season was worthy of my vote. He led the Knicks to their first division title in 19 years.

That’s a long time ago.

Anthony led the league in scoring average and basically carried an old Knicks team to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Amar’e Stoudemire missed most of the season with knee issues, Raymond Felton missed six weeks, and Tyson Chandler dealt with nagging injuries, leaving Anthony, J.R. Smith, and a bunch of lottery picks from the mid-1990s to win 54 games and beat the Miami Heat three times.”

When Anthony learned that he was the one to take the unanimous vote from James, Anthony said he would “take it,” but still tipped his hat to the MVP. From the New York Post report:

“I will take it,’’ Anthony said. “I came into this season with a total different mindset than I had in the past as far as an individual and team. I wanted 50-plus wins, win our division, get out of the first round and hopefully the second round. So everything has been going as I planned. As far as MVP, LeBron gets it. I take my hat off to him. He had a hell of a year. To win 27 straight games, you can’t top that.’’

Anthony finished third overall in the voting, with Kevin Durant claiming runner-up.

Carmelo Anthony goes up against the Celtics’ Jeff Green in Game 1. Anthony called Game 2 a “must win” and said it was more important than Game 1. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony called Game 2 against the Celtics a “must win” for the team, according to the New York Post. The Knicks are up 1-0 in the series and look to take a 2-0 lead on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

From the New York Post report:

“We’re approaching this game as a must-win here on our home court,” Carmelo Anthony said. “We want to win this basketball game. We don’t want to go back to Boston 1-1. Game 2 is just harder than Game 1. Although we took care of business in Game 1, we still want to come back and not give away this game. This game is more important than Game 1 was.”

The series will move to Boston for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will win the NBA scoring title this season.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant would have needed 70 points in his final game of the season to surpass Anthony, but Durant announced on his Instagram account that he won’t play in the game.

“SITTING OUT TONIGHT’S GAME, if you disappointed I didn’t try to go for the scoring title, oh well!!” Durant wrote in a note.

That means Anthony, who is also sitting out New York’s game tonight, will hold on for the title. He averaged 28.7 points per game this year, beating out Durant’s 28.1.

Durant had won the scoring title the past three seasons.

The New York Knicks received a nugget of good news Wednesday, a day after finding out that All-Star center Tyson Chandler will be out another week and Kurt Thomas won’t play until mid-April.

According to tweets Wednesday morning from multiple news outlets, Carmelo Anthony is listed as “probable” for Wednesday night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Orlando Magic. Anthony hasn’t played since March 13 in a game against his former team, the Denver Nuggets, when he tangled his feet and went down after playing only 21 minutes.

Anthony had his sore right knee drained last Thursday and has missed three games since the injury, a stretch in which the Knicks have gone 1-2. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Knicks and Magic this season as New York looks to go 4-0 on the season against Orlando.

Knicks are saying Carmelo Anthony is probable tonight.—
Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 20, 2013

Some good news: Carmelo Anthony now listed as probable for tonight's game vs. Orlando. Now if he can just find 7 or 8 healthy teammates.—
Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) March 20, 2013

Carmelo Anthony is listed as probable for tonight versus Orlando.—
  (@NY_KnicksPR) March 20, 2013

Carmelo Anthony hopes to return to the Knicks Wednesday night while Kurt Thomas and Tyson Chandler suffered setbacks. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

The injuries continue to pile up on the oldest team in NBA history.

Less than 24 hours after pulling off a win on the road against the Utah Jazz Monday night, the Knicks announced that All-Star center Tyson Chandler will be out for “about a week” and backup power forward-center Kurt Thomas, who played a season high 26 minutes against the Jazz, will be out for two to four weeks.

Chandler was initially dealing with a bruise in his left knee suffered last week in a road loss to the Denver Nuggets. He hasn’t played since that March 13 loss, but once the pain subsided, he appeared ready for a return to action. He expressed concern over the weekend about pain in his neck, and an MRI on Tuesday morning revealed that he had a bulging disc and will miss about a week, according to Al Iannazzone, Knicks beat reporter for Newsday.

Thomas, the oldest player in the NBA, has seen an increased role for the Knicks because of their thinning frontcourt. But now he will be added to the list of casualties as the 40-year-old center is expected to miss two to four weeks with a chronic stress fracture in his right foot.

The lone bright spot for the Knicks right now is that Carmelo Anthony hopes to return Wednesday night when New York host the Orlando Magic. Anthony had fluid from his knee drained last week and has been out since that March 13 loss against the Nuggets, his former team.

Despite all of the injuries, the Knicks are third in the Eastern Conference, one game up on the Brooklyn Nets.

Knicks say Tyson Chandler had a small bulging disc and will miss about a week.—
Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 19, 2013

Kurt Thomas has a stress reaction surrounding a chronic stress fracture in his right foot, the knicks say. He's out 2-4 weeks.—
Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 19, 2013

Carmelo Anthony says his knee is feeling much better, hopes to play tomorrow: newsday.com/sports/basketb… via @Newsday—
Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 19, 2013

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and center Tyson Chandler are questionable to play in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, reports ESPNNewYork.com.

Both players are dealing with knee injuries. Anthony joined the team in Los Angeles after having his knee drained in New York. He practiced on a limited basis Saturday, but has missed four of the Knicks’ past seven games.

Chandler suffered a left knee contusion late in the first half of the Knicks’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday and did not play in the team’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.

“Yes, we went through shootaround thinking that (Chandler and Anthony will not play),” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said. “We got these (other players) in uniform ready to play.”

The Knicks (38-25) are just one game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks drives past a falling Shane Battier #31. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks could see a familiar face back on the court as they begin a five-game road trip starting tonight against Golden State. Carmelo Anthony, who has missed the last three contests with a knee injury, could make his return tonight for the Knicks. The Knicks have gone 3-1 in the absence.

Anthony returns to a lineup sans superstar forward Amar’e Stoudemire who will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a knee injury. The Knicks enter tonight with a slim .5 game lead over the Indiana Pacers for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony is having an MVP-type year for the Knicks, averaging 28.2 points-per-game on 44.1 percent shooting to go along with his 6.2 rebounds a game.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is listed as probable for tonight's game at Golden State.—
  (@NY_KnicksPR) March 11, 2013

New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire will miss approximately six weeks with a knee injury that will require surgery, the team announced Saturday. The Knicks made the announcement before they took on the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks said that Stoudemire would need to undergo a knee debridement surgery, a procedure to remove dead or damaged tissue or bone in order to heal the injured area. It’s the same procedure he underwent before the season started, which caused him to miss the first two months of the season.

If Stoudemire does miss six weeks, that would keep him out past the end of the regular season on April 17.

The Knicks are also dealing with an injury to star forward Carmelo Anthony, who has missed two straight games with what the Knicks say is a stiff and sore right knee after he was hurt Monday at Cleveland.

Stoudemire was out with his first knee injury until Jan. 1 this season. He was averaging 14.2 points and five rebounds, coming off the bench in all 29 games he played.

Forward Amar’e Stoudemire is scheduled to have a right knee debridement this coming week. He is expected to miss approximately six weeks.

— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) March 9, 2013

Carmelo Anthony is day-to-day with his right knee injury. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

New York Knicks fans can breath a sigh of relief.

Carmelo Anthony’s right knee injury suffered in Monday’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers is not expected to be serious and Mike Woodson is calling his status day-to-day, according to an interview the head coach gave Tuesday on ESPN Radio. The All-Star forward will be evaluated again on Tuesday in Detroit and will likely be a game time decision when the Knicks tip off against the Pistons on Wednesday night.

Anthony said after Monday’s win that team doctors had done an MRI on his knee days earlier because of nagging pain he had been dealing with for the past few weeks, but added that the medical staff didn’t think “it’s too serious,” according to a report from Al Iannazzone, Knicks beat reporter for Newsday.

The injury Monday night, which caused him to leave the game and not return, happened about midway through the second quarter. As recapped by our own Ben Golliver, Anthony fell to the court when his feet became entangled with each other after trying to catch an outlet pass from Jason Kidd.

Anthony said after the game that his knee obviously hurts but it’s nothing new:

“[It's] just sore. No pain. Just sore, stiffness. But it’s been going on for a while now. [S]ome days you wake up and you don’t really feel right. I came and I tried to warm up in warmups, and it still didn’t feel right. I thought it was going to loosen up before the game. Some of the things that I was doing, it felt like I was dragging my leg, and then that one particular play as well.”

The Knicks, currently on top of the Atlantic Division with a 36-21 record, face Kevin Durant, who is four tenths of a point ahead of Anthony for the league’s scoring title, and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, and have five sets of back-to-backs for the rest of March.

On @ESPNNY98_7FM, Mike Woodson says that Carmelo (knee) is day to day and will be re-evaluated tomorrow before the Detroit game. #Knicks—
Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 05, 2013

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will not be suspended by the NBA for his altercation with Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes on Sunday night, reports ESPN.com.

In the third quarter of the Knicks’ 99-93 victory over the Sixers, Anthony hit Hawes in the back of the head as the two were fighting for position on a rebound. Hawes reacted angrily and had to be pushed away as he approached Anthony but was restrained by Knicks center Tyson Chandler.

Hawes and Chandler received double technicals for the play and Anthony received a flagrant foul. Anthony said after the game that Hawes had elbowed him prior to the incident.

“He’s just got to control his emotions,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “Melo is a physical player and he likes contact which is great. He doesn’t back away from contact. We had the altercation and we were able to pull away from it. No punches were thrown. They assessed the technicals and the flagrants the way they saw it and we moved on.”

Read More…

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will play in Sunday’s NBA All-Star game despite a bruised arm, the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola reported on Thursday.

Isola cited an NBA source who said that the league has been informed Anthony would play.

Anthony was hurt early on during the Knicks’ 92-88 loss to Toronto on Wednesday. He took a step in front of a driving DeMar DeRozan and got elbowed in his arm. Anthony said it created a contusion and left him battling a “dead arm” throughout the game.

Anthony had said Wednesday night that he wouldn’t “force it” to play in the All-Star game. He entered Wednesday’s game averaging 29 points per game, tied with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant for the league high.

The NBA, according to a source, has been informed that Carmelo Anthony intends to play in Sunday’s All Star Game.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) February 14, 2013

Carmelo Anthony’s All-Star Game appearance is in jeopardy after he hurt his biceps muscle. (Elsa/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony says he has a contusion on his right bicep muscle and if it continues to hurt, he may not play in the All-Star Game.

Anthony made the comments to a pool of media reporters following the Knicks’ 92-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. Anthony finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds but only shot 5 for 24.

The Knicks (32-18) have lost their final two games leading into the All-Star break and are 3 1/2 games behind the Miami Heat for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

“It was kind of like a dead arm out there,” Anthony said after the game.

Anthony, who is averaging 29 points and 6.4 rebounds a game this season, was voted as a starter in the All-Star Game, which will take place Sunday at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Carmelo Anthony says he has a contusion on his right bicep. Says he might not play in All-Star Game if pain continues.—
Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) February 14, 2013

Carmelo Anthony will appeal the $176,000 he lost from a one-game suspension. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony is appealing the $176,000 in lost wages that resulted from his suspension earlier in January following his skirmish with Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, according to a report Thursday from Marc Berman of The New York Post.

The New York Knicks All Star forward spoke with his agent, Leon Rose, and the NBA Players Association before deciding to move forward with the appeal. Players have 20 days to file an appeal following a suspension. Anthony contends that the on-court confrontation with Garnett on Jan. 7 was merely a verbal skirmish and nothing more.

Ron Klempner, the lead attorney for the NBPA, said the one-game suspension was too harsh:

“In light of the circumstances, in light of the circumstances that it was not a physical confrontation, the suspension seemed excessive.”

Garnett and Anthony had been jawing at each other throughout the game. After the Knicks loss, Anthony waited inside the tunnel at Madison Square Garden and later outside the Celtics team bus to confront Garnett. Anthony maintains he merely wanted to talk with him.

The $176,000 was calculated according to standard league policy, under the new CBA rules for one-game suspensions. Accordingly, he lost 1/110th of his $19.5M salary.

NBA executive Stu Jackson said that Anthony’s actions after the game were unacceptable and that it wasn’t necessarily their on-court confrontation that prompted the fine:

“There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game. Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday’s game and therefore a suspension was warranted.”

Garnett did not try to make contact with Anthony after the game and thus was not fined or suspended by the league.

Anthony will at least have an opportunity to avenge the loss, as the Knicks tip off against the Celtics tonight in Boston.

Carmelo Anthony isn’t mad about Knicks owner James Dolan recording his conversations. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

It was until the flight to London that Carmelo Anthony found out about New York Knicks owner James Dolan ordering his staff to secretly tape his on-court conversations with opponents.

But once he found out, the All-Star forward wasn’t mad. In fact, he found it rather amusing and maintained that he has a good relationship with Dolan.

According to a report Wednesday from Marc Berman of The New York Post, Anthony doesn’t care about microphones on him, regardless of whether they’re obvious or hidden:

“I don’t care about the microphones. I wasn’t aware of it. I found out on the plane [ride]. I don’t think the mikes are going to stop what goes out on the court. But it was funny when I heard it. No, I wasn’t upset. Not at all. I got an owner who looks out for me. You can’t beat that, an owner that protects his players.”

As our own Rob Mahoney recapped, Dolan had asked a few of his employees to record on-court conversations between Anthony and opponents in the wake of Anthony’s one game suspension that followed the in-game chatter going on between him and Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett earlier in January.

The Knicks are currently in London for an overseas showcase against the Detroit Pistons scheduled for Thursday.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers defended Kevin Garnett on Thursday after his confrontation with Carmelo Anthony Monday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers defended Kevin Garnett on Thursday, telling a Boston radio station that reports about Garnett insulting Carmelo Anthony by including a dig at his relationship with his wife were not true.

“Well, No. 1, I know what’s been reported did not happen,” Rivers told the Boston station WEEI, according to ESPN. “I know that as a fact.”

Pressed further on Garnett’s rumored remarks, Rivers said: “That did not happen.”

Anthony was suspended one game after he and Garnett were in a chippy mood during Monday night’s contest between the Celtics and Knicks. Both received technical fouls as tempers flared in the fourth quarter of a game in which Anthony struggled and shot only 6 of 26 from the field.

After the game’s final horn sounded, Anthony left the floor through the Celtics’ tunnel at Madison Square Garden. He was reportedly waiting for Garnett outside the Celtics locker room and was restrained by teammates and some security. Later, he waited for Garnett outside by the Celtics’ team bus with multiple security guards and five NYPD officers.

On Tuesday, Anthony said that some of Garnett’s trash-talking during the game had crossed a line. The New York Post reported that it was a comment about Anthony’s wife that set him off.

”There’s certain things that you just don’t say to men, another man,” Anthony said. ”I felt like we crossed a line, but like I said, we both have an understanding right now, we handled it the way we handled it. Nobody needs to know what was said behind closed doors, so that situation was handled.”

But Rivers dismissed both the reports and Anthony’s insistence that he didn’t deserve a suspension, saying that Anthony was trying to move the blame to Garnett.

“Guys, you know how this works,” Rivers said. “A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, ‘Well, he said this.’ It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn’t have been made into one.”

Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett got confrontational during and after the Knicks and Celtics clashed Monday night. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

A testy night between Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett reportedly ended with Anthony waiting out near the Celtics’ bus to exchange words with Garnett.

Anthony and Garnett got chippy with each other during the Celtics’ 102-96 win over the Knicks on Monday. Both received technical fouls as tempers flared in the fourth quarter of a game in which Anthony struggled and shot only 6 of 26 from the field.

After the game’s final horn sounded, Anthony left the floor through the Celtics’ tunnel at Madison Square Garden. He was reportedly waiting for Garnett outside the Celtics locker room and was restrained by teammates and some security, MSG Network reported (via Newsday).

Neither Knicks coach Mike Woodson or Celtics coach Doc Rivers would comment on that incident when asked by reporters.

“As the game wore on, we just let things get to us a little bit. We can’t let that happen,” Woodson said.

But Anthony wasn’t done trying to get a word — and maybe more — in with Garnett. The New York Daily News’ Frank Isola reported that Anthony went outside the arena and waited for Garnett by the Celtics’ team bus. Anthony drew the attention of Woodson, MSG security and five NYPD officers to diffuse any situation, Isola reported.

Here is Isola’s stream of tweets on the circumstances:

Carmelo Anthony waited for Kevin Garnett near the Celtics team bus, an eyewitness tells the Daily News.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) January 8, 2013

Five NYPD officers, MSG security and Mike Woodson were near the bus to make sure the scene did not get out of control, the New has learned.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) January 8, 2013

According to the eyewitness, Garnett didn’t understand why Carmelo was waiting for him near the bus.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) January 8, 2013

Mike Woodson played a big role in making sure that Carmelo left peacefully. Garnett wasn’t looking for trouble and got on the bus.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) January 8, 2013

Comcast SportsNet New England has video of Anthony waiting for Garnett near the Celtics’ bus.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony expects his team to get to at least the Eastern Conference Finals. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has set his team goals high this season and says if the Knicks don’t advance to at least the conference finals, then that is unacceptable.

The Knicks are 20-7 going into their Christmas Day matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks haven’t advanced to the Eastern finals since the 1999-2000 season. Anthony is second in the league in scoring, averaging 28.3 points a game.

“Winning the division, getting out of the first round, getting to the Eastern Conference finals,” Anthony said on ESPN. “I don’t see anything less than that.”

He adds that anything less than a trip to the conference finals is unacceptable.

“I’ll sit here and tell you right now, it’s unacceptable. With the guys we have, with the team we have, with the roster that we have, it’s unacceptable,” he says.

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony is expected to play Wednesday night. Anthony missed the past two games against Cleveland and Houston with a sprained ankle. The injury occurred last Thursday in the second half of the game against the Lakers.

Anthony has been listed as day-to-day and a game-time decision since the ankle injury. Today, however, there are reports confirming Anthony will definitely play. His ankle is “badly bruised,” and he ran for it for the first time on Tuesday.

The Knicks lost their first game against Brooklyn, but won the second. The Knicks and Nets will meet three times in the first two months of the season.

Carmelo is a go. Brooklyn, you have been warned.

—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) December 19, 2012

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will miss his second straight game with a sore ankle. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will not play in tonight’s home game against the Houston Rockets because of a sore ankle.

Anthony made the decision not to play. Anthony suffered a sprained left ankle and injured knee as he fell after being fouled by Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard during the third quarter of the Knicks’ 116-107 victory last Thursday. Anthony did not play in the team’s victory 103-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Rookie Chris Copeland will start in Anthony’s place. Copeland played 18 minutes on Saturday, scoring 11 points, also starting in the place of Anthony.

Anthony is second in the NBA in scoring averaging 27.9 points per game, behind Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant.

The Knicks announced Friday that forward Carmelo Anthony is questionable for Saturday’s game against Cleveland after spraining his left ankle Thursday night against the Lakers.

The team said Anthony did not undergo X-rays on the ankle and is optimistic he will be able to play Monday at home against the Rockets

Anthony scored 30 points before leaving the game midway through the third quarter after driving and landing awkwardly following a collision with Dwight Howard.

On Thursday night, Anthony said his left ankle, knee and hip were “really sore” and said it was “too soon” to say if he was playing on Saturday.

Kobe Bryant said Carmelo Anthony is the hardest player in the league for him to guard. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony’s reputation as one of the most gifted players offensively just got a ringing endorsement from a guy who knows a thing or two about scoring.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said this week that Anthony, currently in the midst of an MVP-type season as he leads the new and improved Knicks to the top of the Eastern Conference, is the hardest player for him to guard. The comments are a slight, perhaps, to Miami Heat forward LeBron James, who has no doubt taken his game to the next level by winning his first NBA championship last season.

The comments come just as Bryant and his struggling Lakers take their talents to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night with the hopes of handing the Knicks their first home loss of the season. According to The New York Post, citing an interview Bryant had with ESPN reporter Stephen A. Smith, Carmelo Anthony is an absolute “bull” for Bryant to defend but nonetheless, a fun challenge:

The Lakers star said Anthony, the Knicks’ MVP candidate, is the “most difficult” guy for him to guard in the league, even harder than LeBron James, he told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday.

“For me?” Bryant said. “Yeah….”

“I’m [180 pounds] soaking wet,” said Bryant, who is Melo’s teammate on Team USA. “Going up against that bull, it’s fun, but it’s hard.”

Bryant added that the Knicks deserve to be in the conversation of championship-caliber teams this season. The Knicks, currently 8-0 at home, host the Lakers on Thursday evening as Los Angeles tries to break out of its current slump, struggles that Bryant call “baffling.”

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said he’s not sure if he’ll be ready for tonight’s game against the Heat. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony needed five stitches to his left middle finger after diving for a loose ball in the final moments of last nights road win over Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats and said he doesn’t know if he will be ready to suit for tonight’s marquee matchup with the Heat in Miami.

According to a tweet from The New York Times Knicks beat reporter Nate Taylor, Anthony’s finger is “so numb he can’t feel it.” With 2:10 remaining in the game, Anthony dove into the Knicks bench for a loose ball, not realizing that the Bobcats’ shot clock had just expired. He immediately left for the locker room and did not return. Head coach Mike Woodson said moments after the game that he expects Anthony to play against Miami.

The game was won by the Knicks 100-98 on a step-back buzzer beater from J.R. Smith over rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, his first career buzzer-beater. Smith finished the night 6-16 from the field including 1-9 from three. According to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, Anthony said his finger hurt but “J.R. made it feel better.”

The Knicks look to extend their season-series to 2-0 against the Heat tonight. New York had beaten Miami 104-84 Nov. 2 at home in Madison Square Garden behind 30 points and 10 rebounds from Anthony.

Carmelo says his finger is so numb he can't feel it. Doesn't know if he'll play tomorrow agains the Heat.—
Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) December 06, 2012

A Hallmark moment courtesy of Carmelo, who cut his finger before J.R. Smith's game winning shot: "I was hurt but J.R. made it feel better."—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) December 06, 2012

Nets forward Gerald Wallace received a warning for flopping in a play against Carmelo Anthony on Monday night. In overtime, Wallace made contact with Anthony who used his elbow to create space as he went up for the three-pointer. Wallace threw his arms back and backed up several steps.

It is Wallace’s first warning; if he commits another flopping violation, he’ll be fined $5,000.

The Nets won the game 96-89, and Wallace finished with 16 points and five rebounds. A video of Wallace’s flop is below:

Jeremy Lin thinks his former teammates, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony can put their egos aside and play together once Stoudemire is healthy. Lin will reunite with his former team on Friday in Houston. (Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin said his former Knicks teammates Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire could work together and were ready to forget about their egos, reports the NY Post’s Marc Berman:

After practice, Lin said, “I honestly I think it can work because they’re so talented. It’s their approach to the game and they’re both really ready to buy in and do whatever it takes to throw all that other stuff out the window. You guys got to give them time.”

The Knicks lead the Eastern Conference with a 8-2 record, and Stoudemire has yet to play in a game. The 30-year-old forward has been recovering from knee surgery and is expected to return in December. But there has been speculation about where Stoudemire will fit in once he’s healthy. The Knicks have a losing record when both Anthony and Stoudemire are in the lineup, and the two have struggled to develop an effective chemistry.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson declined to answer the question when asked about whether Stoudemire would return as a starter:

“I’m going to address that when we get to that point,” Woodson said. “Right now I’m just taking it a day at a time and work the guys we have in uniform.”

Lin played with the two forwards under Woodson last season and will reunite with his former team when the Rockets take on the Knicks on Friday night in Houston. The second-year point guard is coming off a five-turnover performance against the Bulls on Wednesday but told the NY Post that he is ready to “play his heart out” against the Knicks.

“I’m just going to keep playing – it’s a blessing,” Lin said after Wednesday’s game. “It’s ironic that Thanksgiving is around the corner because it’s a good reminder to be thankful for everything I have. I’m going to go out there on Friday and just play my heart out and just try to approach it the same, just play my heart out and be OK with the results, whatever they may be, trusting in God.”

New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith credits his on-court success to a litany of off-court changes. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

It’s only been five games, but the New York Knicks’ J.R. Smith has taken his game to a different level so far this season. He is scoring 18.2 points per game, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, and hitting an astounding 72.2 percent from 3-point range.

What’s the reason for Smith’s offensive explosion? Smith said it started with changing his off-the-court habits.

“I’m not going to lie, New York City nightlife last year pretty much got to me,” Smith told reporters Thursday, according to Newsday. “I was going out pretty much every other night, just not focused on the task at hand. This year is definitely different.”

Smith has become the Knicks’ primary weapon off the bench and has been the team’s best player next to Carmelo Anthony. Smith credits it to a different kind of “energy.”

“Every day I’m getting into the gym, getting in as much work as I can,” he said. “A lot of times previously in my career, I had negative energy coming into the gym, not wanting to be there, joking around, goofing off. This year, it’s been more serious. I understand every road trip we take is a work trip, not just a play trip. You come and work hard. If I work hard, maybe the next guy will see me work hard.”

The Knicks might employ a pick-and-roll with Carmelo Anthony at power forward. (Ned Dishman/Getty Images)

With New York Knicks starting power forward Amar’e Stoudemire set to miss the first two weeks of the regular season because of cysts in his knee, the question was and perhaps still is whether Kurt Thomas, the oldest active player in the NBA at 40, would get the starting nod from head coach Mike Woodson.

Apparently, Carmelo Anthony has answered that question, saying he’ll be the one to start at the four while Stoudemire is out, according to a report on Tuesday from Frank Isola of The New York Daily News:

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be there,” Anthony said on Sunday about the power forward spot. “I don’t have no problem. I’ve played it last year. I played four-five the whole summer. I have no problem playing that position. It’s just a matter of us having guys at that position with Amar’e being healthy and things like that and Kurt Thomas and Rasheed (Wallace). So now I guess it’s back to the drawing board with me at the power forward position.”

Woodson said that possibly moving Anthony from his traditional role as a small forward to the power forward spot would no doubt create mismatches because of his agility given his size, pointing to the pick-and-rolls that he would execute with starting point guard Raymond Felton:

“It’s kind of a nightmare for a lot of (power forwards) in this league because he’s capable of doing so much offensively,” Mike Woodson said on Monday. “He can come off screens, can run pick-and-rolls, isolation and post. There’s a variety of things he can do (against) bigger fours that have to guard him.”

J.R. Smith would potentially move in to Anthony’s regular spot at the three but he remains sidelined with an Achilles injury. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins said it’d be scary to see what the 6’8″ and 230-pound Anthony would do on a nightly basis at the four:

“He’s that nightmare matchup if he plays the three because he can overpower threes,” said Sixers coach Doug Collins. “And if he plays the four, in most instances he’s going to beat that guy with quickness.”

The experiment, whether or not a success, would likely be short-lived. Stoudemire, who bounced back with mixed success after microfracture surgery on the same knee that is now being treated for cysts, should be back in the line-up by the second week of the regular season. The Knicks tip off at the Nets’ new arena in Brooklyn on Nov. 1 and then open up at home in Madison Square Garden a day later against the Miami Heat.

Stephon Marbury gave his thoughts on James Dolan, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. (AFP/Getty Images)

Former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury provided his thoughts to ESPNNewYork on the Carmelo Anthony-Amar’e Stoudemire duo, James Dolan’s reasoning for signing marquee players and the Knicks’ prospect as a playoff contender.

Speaking in Manhattan before taking off for China to resume playing for the Beijing Ducks, Marbury began the interview by dismissing Anthony and Stoudemire as a formidable duo, choosing to take an indirect shot at Knicks starting point guard Raymond Felton:

“Amare needs a point guard like Steve Nash (to thrive). He’s a pick-and-roll guy, a pick-and-pop guy. He can’t play in the half court where everything’s slowed down.”

When asked if he thought Anthony and Stoudemire could flourish together, Marbury said flatly, “Nope.”

Prior to playing for the Knicks, Marbury played with Stoudemire on the Phoenix Suns during the 2002-03 season.

In talking about Dolan, Marbury speculated whether the Knicks owner brought Anthony to New York for financial reasons rather than a real belief that the former Nuggets forward could actually win games:

“I don’t know if (Knicks owner James) Dolan brought him in to win games or to make money,” Marbury said. “I think it was to make money.”

When asked what the Knicks will look like come playoff time, Marbury was a little more positive:

“I think they have a good team,” Marbury said. “They could make the second round (of the playoffs).”

Marbury returns to China as he readies for another season in the Chinese Basketball Association in which he will try to lead the Beijing Ducks to their second consecutive league championship. He has found success overseas after a highly publicized exit from in the NBA. In the 2007-08 NBA season, his second-to-last in the league, Marbury played in only 24 games with the Knicks because of a public spat with management.

Carmelo Anthony is nursing a sore hamstring. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony is nursing a sore hamstring and although he maintains he’s fine, the New York Knicks have sent a trainer to London to watch over him, according to a tweet Thursday from Frank Isola of The New York Daily News.

It’s not certain whether he injured his hamstring on a specific play recently or if it’s been something that has been nagging him for an extended period of time. He is averaging 17.3 points per game on 53-percent shooting at the Olympics, so it doesn’t appear to have a real effect on his game.

His hamstring injury will be monitored by team trainers as the U.S. readies itself for a semifinal match against Argentina on Friday. Anthony took a shot to the groin on Monday from Facundo Campazzo of Argentina, prompting Anthony to say the dirty play was “uncalled for.”

The winner of U.S.-Argentina will play for the gold in a game against the winner of Russia and Spain in the other semifinal.

Carmelo is nursing a sore hamstring but says he's fine. Knicks sent one of their own trainers to London to look after him—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) August 09, 2012

President Barack Obama has Michael Jordan, Carmelo Anthony and other basketball stars committed to a fundraising event. (Saul Loeb/Getty Images)

Barack Obama is about to get a boost in his fundraising efforts from a number of big names in the basketball world.

According to a report Tuesday afternoon from CBS.com, citing a campaign e-mail, the president will hold an “Obama Classic” basketball game as a fundraiser. Among those scheduled to participate are Michael Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Sheryl Swoops.

The date and location of the game has not been confirmed.

For three dollars, a supporter can enter for the chance to win tickets to the game and a free flight and a night at a hotel.

Obama recently showed his support for the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team. Vice-president Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama were with him in attendance for the team’s exhibition win against Brazil in Washington D.C. in July.

Carmelo Anthony pinpointed Jeremy Lin’s rise as the point when people started calling him “selfish.” (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony thinks the idea of him being a “selfish” player started with Jeremy Lin’s unthinkable rise to stardom this season.

“Let’s be frank about it,” Anthony told USA Today in London, where he is playing in the 2012 Summer Olympics for Team USA. “When it comes to the Knicks, we’re talking about one particular point in time. We’re talking about the whole ‘Linsanity’ thing. That’s when it started. That’s when it started to escalate as far as people saying I was selfish.”

Anthony and Lin had an at-times rocky on-court relationship, mostly because their styles of play never completely got in sync. Anthony was sidelined with a right groin injury when Lin began his unthinkable ascent. The Knicks went 8-1 with Lin leading the way in Anthony’s absence.

Then Anthony returned, and the Knicks went through a 2-8 skid. He said the “selfish meme” doesn’t bother him, however.

“Lin came and we started winning games and then we started losing games, and they could only point to one thing, which is me, the leader of the team,” Anthony said. “They’re not going to point to Amar’e. They’re not going to point to (guard) Iman Shumpert. They’re going to point to me. I accept that. It doesn’t bother me.”

Lin, of course, signed with the Houston Rockets this offseason, and the Knicks declined to match the contract offer. When the Knicks were deciding whether to match the offer, Anthony called it a “ridiculous” contract.

Kobe Bryant is already taking jabs at Carmelo Anthony over the Lakers’ Christmas game with the Knicks. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant’s pursuit for Gold this summer with Olympic teammates Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks doesn’t make him feel precluded from talking a little trash about the match-up his Los Angeles Lakers have scheduled with the Knicks on Christmas Day.

According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Bryant thinks this Christmas could be the end of a drought for the Lakers:

“We actually might win on Christmas Day for the first time ever,” Bryant says.

Bryant isn’t entirely correct. The last time the Lakers won on Christmas was in 2008 in a 92-83 victory over the rival Boston Celtics. The Lakers ended the Celtics’ 19-game winning streak and went on to defeat Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. Since 2008, the Lakers have lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009 when LeBron James was on the team, the following year in 2010 against James and his Miami Heat and then again in a loss in 2011 on Christmas Day against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.

The Lakers game this year against the Knicks will be a match-up of two new backcourts. New York saw the return of Raymond Felton this offseason and signed veteran Jason Kidd while the Lakers signed two-time MVP Steve Nash in July.

Kobe Bryant thinks Commissioner Stern’s idea to not allow basketball players 23 years of age and older to compete in the Olympics is “stupid.” (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant let the media know what he thinks about NBA Commissioner David Stern’s idea of not allowing players 23 years of age and older compete in the Olympics, calling it a “stupid” proposition, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

“It’s a stupid idea,” Bryant told local reporters at the reception to welcome them to Manchester in advance of Thursday night’s exhibition game here against Team Great Britain. “It should be a (player’s) choice. [O]ur discussion is this: Basically, it’s just a dumb idea and we (discuss) it that way. … We just discuss it like that (and) kind of voice our opinions through you (media) guys.”

Stern has expressed interest in adopting a concert similar to the one used in men’s Olympic soccer, in which each team is allowed only three players 23 years of age and older to compete.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been one of Stern’s biggest supporters of the rule, saying in a report from the Associated Press via Yahoo! Sports that “when your country is counting on you, it’s hard to say no.” The report points out that Cuban could be a big supporter of the proposed rule in part because of “Dirk Nowitzki’s futile bid to help Germany qualify for London by competing in the European championship last summer shortly after winning the NBA title.”

In other words, players might find it difficult to turn down the opportunity to represent their country even though they know their body needs rest.

The discussion is particularly relevant this summer, as team USA’s Blake Griffin, who sat out his entire rookie year because of injury, suffered a meniscus tear during practice on July 11 and underwent surgery that will keep him out of the Olympics.

But while Stern and Cuban see the Olympics as an opportunity for a star player to risk injury and thus jeopardize the season for an NBA team, Bryant sees the Olympics as a safer option than not competing in organized basketball:

“If I’m an owner, I would want my player to play (internationally) because I understand that they’re going to be playing anyway, going to be playing pickup basketball in the summertime, and I’m not going to be able to know where they are. They could be playing against a bunch of bums — no, really — guys that feel like they have something to prove and all of a sudden, a (star player) goes to the rim and a guy takes them out and now he’s hurt.

In Olympic play, Bryant said, teams have treatment “around the clock” and therefore, it’s actually better for the players and the owners.

In the report, Bryant’s teammates, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, said they share his view. Paul said he would “like for it to be your own decision,” calling the Olympics the greatest experience of his life.

Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo agrees with them as well, saying he hopes Stern doesn’t try to change anything:

“I don’t want to change anything because I like what we have,” Colangelo told the Times earlier this month. “We take care of our players and I think we do the right things.”

All good? Now Carmelo Anthony says he hopes the Knicks match the Rockets’ contract offer to Jeremy Lin. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks will have to decide whether to match the Houston Rockets’ contract offer to point guard Jeremy Lin on Tuesday, and they got surprising approval from their superstar on Monday night.

Speaking to reporters after Team USA’s 80-69 win over Brazil on Monday night in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, Carmelo Anthony said that he hoped the Knicks could “get it done” and get Lin back.

“I hope we can get it done, man,” Anthony said, according to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger. “I would love to see him back. Honestly, I would definitely love to see him back. But knowing the business of basketball, it’s kind of a tough situation for both parties. For Jeremy, I know that he definitely wants to be back in New York and (Madison Square Garden chairman) James Dolan definitely wants him back. But it’s just a matter of figuring it out at this point.”

Berger reported that it’s still unclear whether or not the Knicks will match, but most indications point to them letting Lin walk. But Anthony’s position comes as a shift from Sunday, when he called the Rockets’ three-year, $25 million offer to Lin — which pays Lin $15 million in the third year — “ridiculous.”

“It’s not up to me,” Anthony said with a laugh. “It’s up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that’s out there.”

Anthony tried to clarify that comment on Monday, putting the onus of the “ridiculous” contract more on the Rockets’ side of negotiations.

“It was ridiculous for them to do what they did as far as throwing that out there and making it tough on us to sign him back. That’s why it’s called free agency, though,” Anthony said.

Knicks teammate J.R. Smith backed up Anthony when speaking with SI’s Sam Amick on Sunday. Smith suggested that  Lin’s contract could cause problems in the locker room  with the Knicks’ chemistry.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “I think some guys take it personal, because they’ve been doing it longer and haven’t received any reward for it yet. I think it’s a tough subject to touch on for a lot of guys.”

Carmelo Anthony thinks Jeremy Lin’s offer from the Rockets is “ridiculous.” (Nathaniel S. Butler, Getty Images)

As the New York Knicks look more and more like they will be losing point guard Jeremy Lin, one of their stars has come out swinging at what the point guard will be paid in coming seasons.

Speaking after a Team USA practice (AP Report), Knicks shooting guard Carmelo Anthony spoke to reporters about the possibility of Lin leaving New York:

“It’s not up to me,” Anthony said with a laugh. “It’s up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that’s out there.”

The contract Anthony refers to comes from the Houston Rockets, who offered Lin a three-year, $25 million deal that pays $15 million in its third year. The Knicks were widely expected to match whatever offer Lin received, but the size of the Rockets’ proposed contract could wreak havoc with the Knicks’ cap situation in the last year of the deal.