CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the Knicks on the verge of a four-game winning streak and on the first anniversary of his 62-point scoring-record explosion against Charlotte at the Garden, Carmelo Anthony sat for a “recovery day’’ Saturday night as his teammates lost, 76-71, to the Hornets.
It was a preordained plan for Anthony to sit out the second night of a back-to-back, as the Knicks are in a busy stretch of their schedule. Anthony only has been back a week after going on a two-week sabbatical to rest his sore left knee. He played 42 minutes in Friday’s victory over the Magic, and coach Derek Fisher knew his All-Star would sit.
Anthony said earlier this week he wasn’t sure if he would play both ends of back-to-backs for now. Anthony has hinted he will play the All-Star Game at the Garden on Feb. 15, then re-evalaute things with the season all but lost. However, Anthony recently said he was in it for the long haul.
“I think it’s more a precaution,’’ Fisher said. “He had two weeks for the knee to calm down. He’s only had a week back. With a back-to-back and three games in four nights and another three games in four nights upcoming, it’s more precautionary.’’
Anthony didn’t speak to the media.
The Knicks’ starting lineup consisted of three players in the midst of 10-day contracts — Langston Galloway, Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson. Anthony averaged 25 points during the winning streak, but it was the role players keying victory.
Thomas had 16 points and eight rebounds, Galloway scored 11 and Amundson had seven points and eight boards before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
That lineup led to Fisher deflecting a question regarding whether talent is needed to run a successful triangle offense. The three 10-day players have provided grit, defense and a high basketball IQ more than talent.
“It’s professional sports,’’ Fisher said. “You need talent to win. The season started, we felt good about the talent we had. There were talented names of players on that list. J.R. [Smith] and Shump [Iman Shumpert] are talented guys who are doing well in Cleveland [after being traded away earlier this month].
“It’s not really a question of talent. It’s how guys blend that talent and how well you become a team and work together and sometimes being OK [with] not always showing your talent by putting the team before you. That’s what becoming successful is all about for us. We definitely want talent, need talent. We’ll have chance to add it. It still comes back to character and integrity and how they’re sacrificing for the good of the team.”
Jose Calderon didn’t make the trip to Charlotte to rest his bruised left knee. Fisher said Calderon is feeling better, but wasn’t sure if he’d be back Monday vs. Sacramento. … Rookie Cleanthony Early, who made his return from an ankle sprain Friday and played three minutes without taking a shot or grabbing a rebound, did not play.
That’s shocking considering this is the time to develop the young players.