Carmelo Anthony’s shoulder didn’t fare too well in a physical first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics, but now that the Knicks have won the series and advanced for the first time in more than a decade, Anthony said he’s not too concerned with his injury.
Anthony’s shoulder was banged up during the series , and in the close-out Game 6 he said he felt it pop in and out.
“It’s a little sore,” he said after the Knicks’ 88-80 victory in Boston. “The more I get beat up, the sorer it gets.”
The shoulder had been taking some beatings during the series, including a hard collision with Celtics guard Avery Bradly in the fourth quarter of Game 6.
“It was a little sore throughout the whole game,” Anthony said. “Then when Bradley came and hit my shoulder from behind, it really just kind of popped in and out a little bit. But I’m fine.”
Carmelo Anthony’s shoulder was initially pulled while he was jostling for position with Kevin Garnett in Game 5, though Anthony said it wasn’t serious at the time.
“I guess he was trying to take my arm away,” Anthony said of Garnett. “I got kind of tangled up with him, kind of yanked my shoulder a little bit. I’m fine.”
It was part of a physical contest that ended with Celtics guard Jordan Crawford, who spent the entire game on the bench, getting in Carmelo’s face after the Celtics win. Carmelo didn’t seem too phased by it, nor his bum shoulder, as the Knicks went on to win Game 6 and close out the series.
Carmelo Anthony’s shoulder isn’t expected to have an effect on the Knicks going forward. He’s expected to play in Sunday’s series opener against the Indiana Pacers, though forward Amar’e Stoudemire and guard Steve Novak will both be out with injuries.
