MILWAUKEE — Carmelo Anthony was flat on his back on the trainer’s table after the 117-113 loss to the Bucks Tuesday — his left knee being rubbed with ice by assistant trainer Anthony Goenaga.
There was nothing to hide anymore. Anthony came clean. He revealed he has been battling knee pain since the season’s second game in Cleveland and has had tests on it. He claims it’s not “that serious,’’ not enough to shut him down, but the issue bears watching and may have contributed to his recent four-game shooting slide.
The Knicks play in Minnesota on Wednesday in the second night of a back-to-back and Anthony said there has been no discussion of having him rest, but he also didn’t definitively say he would play.
“It’s been sore since maybe the Cleveland game,’’ Anthony said. “I’ve been trying to go though it and play through it. I try not to think about it. Some days are better than others.’’
Tuesday in Milwaukee wasn’t one of those days. He re-injured it banging the knee to the floor in a scramble with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He winced after coming down fighting for a rebound and grimaced through parts of the night.
He went to the locker room midway through the second quarter to get his left knee re-taped. But he came back to play on.
“For the most part once the tape came off, I banged it on the floor and made it worse,’’ Anthony said.
“There’s been no swelling,’’ Anthony said. “I don’t think it’s serious. I’m out there playing. I don’t think it’s that serious.’’
Two seasons ago, Anthony had fluid drained from that knee, but claimed no cartilage damage existed. He had arthroscopic surgery during the lockout in 2011.
“I know what’s going on with it,’’ Anthony said. “I’m playing through it. I was doing fine until I banged my knee [Tuesday].’’