X-rays negative on Melo's shoulder

NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony will have to try to get the New York Knicks into the playoffs with a sore right shoulder.

The Knicks' star labored through a strained right shoulder and had just 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and nine turnovers in a 90-89 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

X-rays on Anthony's shoulder were negative, and the Knicks expect him to play Sunday at Miami.

"Yeah, as of right now, for sure, I'll be there," Anthony said of being able to face the Heat.

Anthony said he first suffered the injury during the Knicks' win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

"Today was just the lingering effect on it," said Anthony, who shot 5 of 14 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. "I just felt it just gave [out]. Throughout the course of the game, there was no strength in it -- on the passes, causing turnovers, things like that. Hopefully, I'll be all right."

Anthony suffered a labrum and rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder late last season and played through the injuries in the playoffs. Anthony, though, said this injury isn't like the ones he had last year in his other shoulder.

Anthony felt enough pain in his right shoulder that he had to call for a timeout shortly before the first half Friday night.

"It gave out on me one time," Anthony said. "It was just frustrating, I said, 'That's it.' "

Anthony, who averaged 28 points and 8.2 rebounds entering the game, clearly wasn't himself throughout it. He had just six points and six rebounds with six turnovers going into the fourth quarter.

"Well, I knew it was bothering him," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "But you know, we've got to have Melo on the floor. ... But it was bothering him. I knew that. He has nine turnovers, that's not Carmelo."

Anthony had two turnovers in the final four minutes. He was driving to the basket when he threw away a pass intended for Tyson Chandler with the Knicks down 83-82 and 3:28 left. Anthony later made an 18-footer to get the Knicks within two. But with the Wizards up 88-86 with 55.9 seconds left, Anthony threw a pass across the court that was intercepted by Martell Webster.

Anthony did make up for it by knocking the ball out of John Wall's hands and off his foot to give the Knicks the ball back with 51.5 seconds left. And then he found Raymond Felton open for a 3-pointer that pushed the Knicks up 89-88 with 33.5 seconds to go.

Bradley Beal answered with a 20-footer that put the Wizards up by one with 22.9 seconds left.

Despite J.R. Smith having the hot hand and making 8-of-16 3-pointers to have 32 points, the Knicks ended up putting the ball in their All Star's hands. But the execution on the final play wasn't smooth and Anthony ended up having the ball knocked loose on a drive. The Knicks managed to get the ball to Smith as the clock wound down but Smith missed a desperation heave at the buzzer.

Smith was asked if he would have liked to have taken the final shot the way he was shooting against Washington.

"Yeah, no matter who has it going, I always want the last shot," Smith said. "It's something I've never been shy about, shooting. So whoever's got it going or whatever the case is, I always want the last shot."

Anthony said he never thought about sitting due to his injury with the Knicks (33-44) needing every win they can get to try to pass Atlanta (33-42) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

"There was no way I was coming out, not on these circumstances," Anthony said. "There's a dogfight we're in, there was no way I was coming out."

"It's a tough loss, man," Anthony said. "I wish I could have done better, played better. But for the most part I thought my teammates did what they had to do -- J.R. had a phenomenal game, so I just wish I could have rewarded that. But we got one Sunday against Miami."