Last night, the New York Knicks played the Milwaukee Bucks for the second night of a home and home affair. On Wednesday night (the first of the two games), the Bucks stole a victory thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s game winning jumper at the buzzer. However, the Knicks responded in Milwaukee last night. After trailing by 18 points, the Knicks mounted a comeback to win 116-111. That was thanks to the fourth quarter efforts of rookie Ron Baker, Kristaps Porzingis, and Carmelo Anthony.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Knicks. However, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Carmelo Anthony revealed after the game that he’s been playing with a shoulder injury:
Carmelo Anthony reveals to the News that he's been dealing with "bad" shoulder pain that needs constant attention https://t.co/TnF9IMVrJA
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) January 7, 2017
Carmelo Anthony Reveals He’s Been Playing With A Shoulder Injury
Anthony said that his shoulder feels bad a good chunk of the time, and that it can get aggravated easily. However, you wouldn’t think he’d be dealing with an injury if you look at his season numbers.
Anthony is averaging just over 22 points per game, as well as just over 6 rebounds per game; he’s looked like himself this year, so him saying he’s been playing through injury is a bit of a surprise. The question now becomes whether he should undergo surgery now, or should the Knicks just let it be?
On one hand, the Knicks can rest Anthony once in a while to let his shoulder heal. But on the other hand, taking Anthony off the court could hurt the Knicks’ chances at making a run for a playoff spot. Although it’s highly unlikely, the Knicks and Anthony could ultimately decide to have him undergo surgery to repair the damage in his shoulder.
Anthony’s shoulder woes come as a bit of a surprise, given that he’s been playing like his normal self. He even hit a crucial three-pointer in the waning moments of last night’s game, just a few minutes before he revealed his injury to the media.
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