No Canada.
Carmelo Anthony has played his last game for the Knicks in 2013. He sat out Friday’s first leg of a home-and-home with the Raptors — a 95-83 loss — and didn’t take the flight afterward to Toronto for the second leg Saturday.
Part of the thinking is the Knicks have four days off after the home-and-home, and Anthony could rest up his sprained left ankle and be 100 percent upon his return on Thursday, Jan. 2, when the Knicks travel to San Antonio. That would give him 1 ¹/₂ weeks of rest since spraining his ankle in Orlando. That doesn’t help the Knicks now, as they could fall five games out of first place with another loss Saturday.
Anthony missed 15 games last season, with the Knicks going 7-8 without him.
Asked if he were surprised Anthony backed out of playing Friday, J.R. Smith said: “A little bit. I really don’t know how bad his ankle is. but apparently it’s extremely bad. Without him, we have to find scoring from other areas.’’
Anthony didn’t sit on the bench. He rehabbed in the locker room and didn’t make himself available to the media.
With the Knicks shorthanded, Metta World Peace decided to play Friday despite awaiting a bloodspinning procedure to deal with his sore left knee, and logged 5:23. World Peace suited up thinking Iman Shumpert would not play, but Shumpert decided to suit up despite a bruised thigh. Smith played with flu-like symptoms.
“We’re in a situation that we have to support each other and be there for each other,’’ World Peace said. “I don’t think Melo would be out three games, but he’s out.’’
World Peace was in one of his wacky moods, claiming he is an “alien’’ in dodging a question about owner James Dolan’s remarks to the players.
Later, World Peace added: “My focus is on winning championships. Aliens only want to win championships. There’s nothing else to focus on. Injuries isn’t a focus, trade talk is not a focus. Gluten-free pasta is not a focus. We’re still going to try to win the championship. Nothing will distract us.’’
Former Knick Steve Novak, part of the trade for Andrea Bargnani, did not leave the bench in his Garden return. Neither did another ex-Knick, Landry Fields. … Isiah Thomas, on WFAN Friday morning, said the Knicks, when healthy, could beat anyone and supported his former college teammate, coach Mike Woodson.
“When you evaluate the job he’s doing, I look at the total body of work,’’ Thomas said. “Since he’s been here, his record is (81-53). When you look at the season he’s having, fortunately they’re in the Atlantic and nobody is running away with the division.
“I know Mike personally. I know what kind of competitor he is and what kind of coach he’s been. When he has all the pieces and the team is playing well, they’re as good as anybody. Coming out of training camp they had injuries and were hit with the injury bug more than most teams.”