Carmelo Anthony Suspended, Won’t Face Pacers Thursday

The Pacers catch a break and won’t have to deal with superstar Carmelo Anthony Thursday night when they host the New York Knicks.

The NBA has suspended Anthony for one game without pay for confronting Boston’s Kevin Garnett in the arena tunnel, near the players’ locker rooms, and in the parking garage following the Knicks-Celtics game in New York Monday.

Anthony, the NBA’s second leading scorer at 29 points per game, was upset with some vulgar comments made by Garnett during the game and reportedly wanted to hash it out postgame.

“It’s certain things that you just don’t say to men, another man,” Anthony said Tuesday (via ESPNNewYork.com). “I felt that he crossed the line. Like I said, we’re both at an understanding right now; we handled it the way we handled it. Nobody needs to know what was said behind closed doors. So that situation is handled.”

The NBA didn’t like his actions after the Knicks’ 102-96 loss.

“There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game,” said Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations. “Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday’s game and therefore a suspension was warranted.”

The Pacers seek their ninth-straight win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and will do so in front of a national audience, as the game will be televised on TNT. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 PM EST.