Blazers' Carmelo Anthony Doesn't Return After Suffering Knee Injury vs. Magic

Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony did not return to Friday's game against the Orlando Magic at Moda Center after he was declared questionable to return with a left knee contusion.

Anthony appeared to favor his knee after he attempted a three-pointer in the second quarter.

A stretch on the sideline would be especially disappointing for a player who went over a full year without playing an NBA game. Following a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets last season, Anthony was inactive for more than two months and then was traded to the Chicago Bulls, who waived him.

He went unsigned until Nov. 19 despite having plenty of support from his peers.

"Melo is easily better than half the league right now," Kyle Kuzma said before the season, per Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times. "There's no question about it. He should be on a team right now. He's still one of the best players."

He finally got a chance with the Trail Blazers, signing a one-year deal worth $2.2 million.

In 14 games with Portland, the 35-year-old has averaged 16.8 points per game.

Anthony has proved to be an elite offensive player throughout his career, earning 10 All-Star selections while averaging more than 20 points per game in each of his first 14 seasons, from 2003-04 to 2016-17. The streak came to an end during his lone season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he averaged 16.2 points per game, and his 13.4 points per game in his short stint with Houston marked a career low.