WASHINGTON — Carmelo Anthony says he may chip in with Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who made a $25,000 donation Friday to the NBA in care of the Melo Foundation of No Fouls.
In truth, the NBA whacked Woodson $25,000 for complaining about the officiating on his radio show, in which he said Anthony is not getting calls befitting a superstar and he’s “getting hit more than ever.’’ Woodson had spent three straight days defending Anthony’s treatment by the referees.
Anthony is well aware of the coach’s support. They had a long talk at practice Friday.
“I’ll take care of him,’’ Anthony said at the morning shootaround at Verizon Center Saturday before the Knicks faced the Wizards. “I don’t know about $25,000. We got a long year. I’ll take care of Woody.’’
Anthony seemed to appreciate the support from his coach, though was cautious to not wind up with his own fine.
“I’m not touching that topic,’’ Anthony said. “He felt a certain kind of way. He made a statement, got reprimanded for it. We move on.’’
After the Detroit win Tuesday in which Anthony picked up a technical foul, Woodson said in the postgame press conference he saw the replay on an Anthony 3-point play that was waved off and felt it was the wrong call. He repeated it the next day, saying the officials “blew’’ the call. Then he railed on his radio show, at one juncture saying, “I don’t know what’s a foul and what’s not a foul.’’
Woodson was instructed not to further the argument any longer.
“I got fined, that’s it,’’ Woodson said Saturday morning. “I just got to move on. I can’t really comment on it. I can’t. Let’s talk about something else.’’
Asked what he told Anthony in their sitdown, Woodson said:,“I just wanted to see where his head was. Making sure everyone stays the course. Just to let him know it’s a long season and we have to start picking it up and nobody thank God is running away with it in the division. If this can be a successful trip for us, we’ll be right back in the race.’’
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PG Raymond Felton sat out his third straight game Saturday and has shut it down after developing a pinched nerve in his hip. It’s unknown if the plan all along was to rest up for Monday’s return to Portland, where former Trail Blazer is not popular with Portland fans.
Woodson said Beno Udrih, coming off an excellent outing in the Pacers loss, is capable as starter.
“Ray’s a tough kid and competitor,’’ Woodson said. “If he could play, he’d play. I just got to rely on Beno and Pablo [Prigioni]. That’s why they’re on our ballclub. The other night, both guys played well for us and kept us where we had a shot to win the game.’’
Woodson admitted the little-used Udrih had been “a little sluggish’’ in his starting debut in Detroit. The Knicks were to face four solid point guards on this four-game trip: John Wall, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Ty Lawson.
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Anthony said a report he suffered minor pain in his rehabbed left shoulder after the Detroit game was erroneous. Anthony told reporters after the Pistons game it was his right shoulder that got banged, not his left one. Anthony said his left shoulder is fine, then added, “Any wood I can knock on?’’