Carmelo Anthony sits out Friday, unsure about Sunday

Russell Westbrook's return won't be quite the showdown it seemed at first.

Carmelo Anthony will sit with back spasms on Friday when the New York Knicks visit the returning Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony left Monday's game with the issue and also sat out on Wednesday, with J.R. Smith starting in his place.

This is hardly surprising news, as it was considered unlikely that Anthony would suit up Friday. The team returns to Gotham for a three-game homestand beginning Sunday, and that has always seemed his likely return range. Anthony is said to have been in a great deal of discomfort with the back soreness, but he isn't expecting to be out for long.

Despite that optimism, Anthony is unsure of his status for Sunday. Back spasms tend to be a day-to-day and game-time decision thing, so even though he got in work and said he was feeling better Friday, Knicks fans shouldn't hold their breath.

Vague timeline aside, the Knicks need Anthony back in short order to survive. They hung tough in an overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, but at 4-12, they can ill afford to lose their star scorer for an extended period.

In 15 games this season, Anthony is averaging 23.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. While the team hasn't been good overall, they've been 10.2 points per-100 possessions better when their superstar is on the floor.