Mike Woodson opens up about resting Carmelo Anthony for the crunch game against Miami Heat – NBA Update
The New York Knicks toppled the Miami Heat 112-92 on Thursday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena and surprisingly enough, they did it without their superstar forward Carmelo Anthony.
Carmelo had lacerated his middle finger of left hand late in the last game against Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night, and got five stitches as a result. The player had tweeted yesterday that he might not be able to make it for
the game against Miami Heat, the defending NBA Champions, who knocked the Knicks out of the first round of playoffs last season.
The Knicks had also branded him as a game time decision, but considering the magnitude of the contest, it was expected that Mike Woodson would suit up Anthony, at least for some minutes. The player even took part in the pre game
shootout, but when the lineups were announced, Woodson decided to leave out Melo.
The Knicks hardly missed him though and speaking about the decision after the game the Knicks coach said
"He went out and he tried to shoot around, but he came in and told us it didn't feel right," he said. "This is a long season; it is a marathon. One game is not going to determine our season."
Tyson Chandler, who had a good game with 13 points and 9 rebounds, also weighed in on the situation, suggesting it was actually him who told Melo to see the game out, the first time Anthony has done so this season.
"Honestly, I figured he wasn't playing," he said. "He kept saying he was all yesterday, but that's adrenaline and that's his pride knowing coming into Miami and wanting to play. But I told him last night to sit out; it's not worth
it. That laceration can easily bust back open and then we lose him for even longer."
The Knicks produced an explosive performance even without Carmelo, outclassing Miami altogether. This will certainly be big morale booster for the New Yorkers, who seem to be getting better by the day. They are presently at the
top of the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games ahead of Heat.
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