Carmelo Anthony has been playing through an injured shooting shoulder, the star revealed on Friday night. After a win over the Milwaukee Bucks, 116-111, the New York Knicks forward told the New York Daily News that his shoulder needs “around-the-clock treatment” in order to keep himself on the court.
From the New York Daily News:
“It’s bad,” Anthony told the News after Friday’s victory over the Bucks, when the forward nearly put up a triple-double and hit the go-ahead basket in the final minute. “You know what it is, it’s an adjustment that you have to make on the fly. Like some days it feels good, some days it’s tight. Throughout the course of the game, certain shots, certain moves, you feel like the strength isn’t there. So it’s just a matter of figuring out how to play through it. What’s working? What’s not?
“It feels good during the game. And then you irritate it. And then you kind of have to work backwards again to get it back stronger. But I’m constant around-the-clock treatment.”
Anthony first injured the shoulder on Dec. 11 diving for a loose ball in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Prior to his injury, Anthony’s field goal percentage and scoring averages have dipped slightly, but his assist numbers have gone up as has his rebounding and 3-point percentages.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are 1 game out of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing both the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls. They’re going to need to keep Anthony on the court if they want to make a run for the final spot in the East.
