Wizards at Knicks
Carmelo Anthony is tired of all the drama team president Phil Jackson is creating for the New York Knicks but reiterated he wants to remain with the club. His team responded with a superb win in Boston and looks to post another victory when it hosts the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Anthony had his second sit-down conversation of the season with Jackson on Tuesday, two days after a reporter close to Jackson published an article claiming the star player had outlived his usefulness to the organization. "I'm committed," Anthony told reporters. "I don't have to prove that to anybody. I don't think I have to prove that to anybody. I don't think I have to keep saying that. I don't think I have to keep talking about that." Washington recorded a 104-101 triumph over Memphis on Wednesday for its 13th consecutive home victory but stands a porous 4-13 on the road. The Wizards are just 1-7 in the second game of back-to-back sets, with the lone win being a 119-112 decision over the Knicks on Nov. 17.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (22-19): Forward Otto Porter Jr. drained a career-best six 3-pointers and tallied 25 points in the win over Memphis. The 6-of-8 long-range performance moved the fourth-year pro up to second in the NBA in 3-point shooting (45 percent) while Washington improved to 11-2 this season when he makes three or more in a game. "A lot of people don't give Otto a lot of focus or credit in their game plan or scouting report," standout point guard John Wall told reporters. "Every night, he comes in and does everything he's supposed to do. ... Even when he's not knocking (down shots), we still believe in him."
ABOUT THE KNICKS (19-24): The victory over Boston was just New York's third in 14 games and came with starting frontcourt players Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles' tendon) and Joakim Noah (ankle) on the sidelines. Both players are slated to undergo MRI exams on Thursday, and Porzingis is highly frustrated after missing the last four contests. "I hate to be out there on the bench with a suit on," Porzingis told reporters. "You know, I look good out there, but I hate being out there in a suit. I want to be there helping my team, especially in a tough moment like this. We are trying to fix it as quickly as we can and get back on the right track."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Wizards have defeated the Knicks five straight times at Madison Square Garden.
2. Wall recorded 25 points and 13 assists against Memphis and has registered five double-digit assist performances this month.
3. New York PG Derrick Rose matched his season best of 30 points versus Boston and is averaging 21.6 over five games since returning from his mysterious one-game absence.