Carmelo Anthony said today that the groin injury he suffered Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks is “not nearly as bad as it was the first time.” Anthony did not, however, commit to playing Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic.
The Knicks desperately need a healthy, productive Anthony at this point. Star forward Amare Stoudemire is out indefinitely and is getting a second opinion today on the bulging disc in his back, and point guard Jeremy Lin may sit again Wednesday to rest his ailing knee. The Knicks are also without backup center Jared Jeffries, who is dealing with after-affects from knee surgery.
New York (25-25) is now 2.5 games ahead of Milwaukee for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 16 games remaining.
After Wednesday the Knicks are off until Sunday, when they will host the Chicago Bulls.
— See Posting and Toasting for more discussion and analysis of the Knicks.