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Carmelo Anthony, sidelined since suffering a groin injury on Feb. 6, is expected to play Monday when the Knicks host the Nets.
Carmelo Anthony, sidelined since Feb. 6 with a groin injury, is expected to return late this week, the Knicks announced Monday on Twitter. But can he play with overnight sensation Jeremy Lin? That's a silly question, as far as he is concerned.
"When I'm reading the stuff, it's more funny than anything because at the end of the day I know what I bring to the game," Anthony said, according to the NY Daily News. "My teammates know that. But to say, ‘How can I fit in?' It's easy -- give him the ball and space out."
Anthony also added: "I know there's questions about, 'Can I fit in?' and stuff like that, but this is like a dream come true to me. It takes some pressure off of me. I don't have to play point guard. I don't have to try to get Amare 20 points, try to get this guy 20 points, me try to go out there and get 25-30 points a night, play defense, rebound do the whole thing."
Head coach Mike D'Antoni is also convinced Anthony will enhance rather than disrupt the team's newfound chemistry. "He's not going to mess it up. I think that's ludicrous," D'Antoni said. "I know, until you prove it. This should only enhance what we're doing."
Anthony has missed the last four games, but he was on the court during Lin's breakout appearance on Feb. 4 against the Nets. Lin finished that game with 25 points off the bench, while Anthony managed just 11 points. Anthony's low scoring output was the result of a poor shooting night more than anything else, as he shot just 3-of-15 from the field. Two days later during Lin's first career start, Anthony played just six minutes before leaving with injury.
Amar'e Stoudemire, who missed four games following the death of his brother, is also ready to return -- and he's excited about playing with Lin. From ESPN New York:
"Lin is finding guys out there. He's playing totally unselfish. He's taking what the defense gives him. He's studying, which is what you want from your point guard, a guy who wants to be that facilitator and get guys involved and get guys open shots. He's passing the ball right on the numbers where guys can catch and shoot. That brings up high-percentage shooting," Stoudemire said, adding, "This is what we've been talking about all year. It's finally happened."
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Jeremy Lin stole the show once again to lead the New York Knicks to victory on Monday night, but that likely won't be a consistent option going forward as NBA teams begin to gameplan for the second-year guard. Head coach Mike D'Antoni may need to continue to rely on his second, third and even fourth options for the next couple of weeks, though, while All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony sits out with a groin injury.
Anthony suffered a strained right groin in the first quarter of Monday night's game, the team announced Tuesday, that will cause him to miss one or two weeks as he recovers. It looked as though the injury happened after throwing a pass to Tyson Chandler as he called a timeout shortly thereafter to remove himself from the game.
This isn't the first time 'Melo's been forced to miss games this season, but it luckily comes at a lighter point of the Knicks schedule. The Knicks host the Lakers on Friday, but the remainder of their next six opponents include the Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets.
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Carmelo Anthony Injury: Knicks Star Expected To Play Monday
Carmelo Anthony has missed seven games with a groin injury and will make a slightly surprising return to the New York Knicks starting lineup on Monday against the New Jersey Nets. Melo was previously expected to miss another game or two, but will get his first chance to play a full game with Jeremy Lin as a starter against the Nets. Rachel Nichols of ESPN broke the news on her Twitter feed and on ESPN television.
There's been plenty of speculation about how well Anthony will play with Lin at the point. Anthony played in Lin's breakout game against the Nets and played six minutes in Lin's first start, but the two have not started and finished a game together. Melo doesn't think there's going to be a problem.
This will be the first time that Anthony, Lin and Amar'e Stoudemire will play a full game together since Lin's breakout game against the Nets on February 4. Stoudemire did not play in Lin's first start because of the death of his brother. J.R. Smith has also recently joined the team, and it'll be interesting to see if everyone can play together right away. With no disrespect intended to the Nets, this is probably a good opportunity for them to work out the kinks before they face tougher opposition.
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Feb 20 6:53p by Kevin McCauley - 0 comments