Knicks at Clippers
The New York Knicks are unsure whether they will have the services of standout forward Carmelo Anthony when they tackle the host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Anthony’s left knee flared up and he didn’t play in the second half of Sunday’s 101-79 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The injury-riddled Knicks have lost eight straight games while the Clippers have won nine of their last 10 home games.
Los Angeles struggled with lowly Utah on Monday before posting a 101-97 victory behind 24 points from power forward Blake Griffin. The Clippers are playing the fourth contest of a nine-game homestand and won’t play another road game until Jan. 14. New York has lost 18 of its last 19 games under first-year coach Derek Fisher and is experiencing the worst start in franchise history.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (5-28): Anthony has considered taking an extended absence to allow his balky knee to heal as he also wants to avoid surgery. The organization has discussed the situation with Anthony but at this point, playing through the soreness has been the decision. “Carmelo is Carmelo, we don’t necessarily make decisions for him,” Fisher told reporters. “He’s part of the conversation, so we have opinions that we’ve expressed to him. We talk about different things, but really it is a decision that he has to also want to make for himself and his career.”
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (21-11): Backup shooting guard Jamal Crawford has put together a string of strong performances, scoring at least 17 points in each of the last seven games. Crawford has three 20-point outings during the span and has made 16 3-pointers during the stretch. Starting shooting guard J.J. Redick is also playing well and has scored 17 or more points in five of the last six outings, including three 20-point performances.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have won the past four meetings.
2. Los Angeles C DeAndre Jordan had 19 rebounds against Utah and has grabbed 15 or more boards 12 times this season.
3. Knicks F Amar’e Stoudemire (knee) is expected to miss his third straight game.