Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, hampered by injuries, to sit vs. Warriors

ByIan Begley ESPN logo
Thursday, December 15, 2016

New York Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose will miss Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors due to lingering injuries, the team said.

Anthony has soreness in his right shoulder, while Rose is unavailable because of discomfort from back spasms.

Reserve point guard Brandon Jennings will likely start in Rose's place against the Warriors (22-4). It is unclear who will start in place of Anthony.

This marks the first game that Anthony will miss due to injury this season. Spasms have kept Rose out of the lineup in three of the Knicks' past five games.

Rose first suffered the spasms last Tuesday against the Miami Heat and missed the Knicks' next two games. He returned Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 25 points in 34 minutes to help the Knicks in a win. The 28-year-old, however, had another flare-up in the first half of Tuesday's game in Phoenix and did not return.

Both Rose and Anthony have been driving forces behind the Knicks' solid 14-11 start. Rose has averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 23 games, while Anthony holds averages of 22 points, 2.8 assists and 6.1 rebounds.

The Knicks have taken a cautious approach with Rose, who has a long injury history, though nothing related to his back. Entering this season, the 2010-11 NBA MVP had played just 39 percent of his games in the previous four seasons because of various injuries, including three significant knee ailments.

It is unclear if Rose or Anthony will play Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.