Anthony will not play Wednesday after suffering torn labrum.
There were just two games on the NBA schedule on Tuesday night, but there was something to celebrate for the New York Knicks with their win over the Brooklyn Nets.
While their season may be over in terms of failing to reach the playoffs, they did claim a city championship on Tuesday as they defeated the Nets without Carmelo Anthony.
The 29-year-old had an MRI exam on Tuesday which revealed he had sustained a torn labrum in his right shoulder, which also means he won’t play against the Toronto Raptors in the season finale on Wednesday and could spell the end of his time in New York if he chooses to leave in free agency.
Nevertheless, with Tim Hardaway Jr. scoring 16 points and Amar’e Stoudemire and J.R. Smith both finishing with 14 points apiece, the Knicks gave their supporters a reason to cheer with just one game remaining this season.
In the process, they also prevented Brooklyn from securing the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference for another game at least, and they will face a difficult task as if they lose to Cleveland on Wednesday and Washington beat Boston, they could slip to sixth.
In the other game of the night, the Los Angeles Clippers picked up a franchise-record 57th win of the regular season against the Denver Nuggets.
Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists while Blake Griffin added 24 points, as coach Doc Rivers is likely to rest his key players for the last game of the season in Portland.
It has been a successful first season in charge for Rivers, but there are still question marks surrounding the Clippers ahead of the playoffs, and they will hope to secure more success than in recent years in the post-season.
NBA Results:
New York Knicks 109-98 Brooklyn Nets
Denver Nuggets 105-117 Los Angeles Clippers
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