The Knicks are already without one member of their “Big Three” for the rest of the season.
Now, the other two have joined Amar’e Stoudemire on the injured list.
Carmelo Anthony left the Knicks’ West Coast road swing in Denver and headed back to New York to get the fluid from his right knee drained.
Also during the team’s 117-94 loss to Melo’s old team — the Denver Nuggets — at the Pespi Center, Tyson Chandler suffered a knee contusion and is listed as probable for tonight’s game in Portland.
“I think it was just time for me to give it time to get to the bottom of it,” Anthony, who went 3-for-12 for nine points, said, according to NBA.com. “I’m going to get it drained. At this point that’s all it is, getting it drained. I was being naïve to myself and trying to psyche myself out saying, ‘I can do it, I can do it.’ It just comes to a point you have to figure it out.”
Meantime, Chandler went down holding his left knee after colliding with Corey Brewer under New York’s basket with 1:28 left in the first half. The collision appeared to buckle Chandler’s knee and he was helped off the court and to the locker room. He suffered a knee contusion and did not return.
Amidst all these injury woes, J.R. Smith openly questioned the team’s heart.
“We got to check out our heart right now,’’ Smith told reporters. “We either got to compete or pack and go home. I’m very disappointed because we didn’t give the effort we should have. I don’t mind losing, but we just go out there and get demolished when we’re considered one of the best teams in the division. It’s not a good look for us.’’
At 38-24, the Knicks are now third in the East, one game behind Indiana and only 1 1/2 games ahead of the rival Brooklyn Nets.
Photo: Getty Images
