Clippers-Knicks game likely to revive Carmelo Anthony rumors

New York —  It has been almost two weeks since the Clippers were first mentioned in trade rumors regarding New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and that noisy chatter is likely to pick up.

The Clippers will play the Knicks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, their first face-to-face meeting since the rumors started at the end of January. Even Clippers Coach Doc Rivers expects the New York media to make the story resurface.

After the Clippers lost in Toronto on Monday night, Rivers said that there was “nothing going on” on the Anthony front.

“People are going to talk anyway,” Rivers said. “There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s New York.”

Multiple reports had the Clippers in a proposed deal acquiring Anthony, with the centerpieces being Clippers’ guards Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers.

Then various reports had both the Knicks, who initiated several calls with the Clippers, and L.A. trying to get a third team involved to help facilitate the deal because New York didn’t want Crawford, 36, after he signed a three-year, $42-million contract last summer.

But Anthony is still with the Knicks and Austin Rivers and Crawford are still with the Clippers.

“Our thing has kind of fallen away a little bit,” Doc Rivers said. “I haven’t heard us in anything.”

Actually, recent reports have focused on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Knicks still being in trade talks for Anthony.

Anthony and Cavaliers superstar LeBron James are very close friends.

But on Monday night, with reports swirling that Cleveland forward Kevin Love could possibly be shipped to the Knicks for Anthony, the Cavaliers shot down that rumor.

“See, we haven’t even been in the rumors lately,” Doc Rivers said. “Who knows? But I’ve got a feeling they will start back up.”

And the rumors will continue with the Clippers because Anthony also is good friends with point guard Chris Paul, who is not on the Clippers’ five-game trip because he’s recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb.

Anthony would have to waive his no-trade clause before he can be acquired by any team.

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 23.

Meanwhile, Rivers has had conversations with his team about the rumors involving Anthony.

“We’ve talked about it as a group already,” Rivers said. “They know what’s going on, and there’s nothing going on.”

CLIPPERS

AT NEW YORK KNICKS

When: Wednesday, 5 p.m. PST

Where: Madison Square Garden.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket, ESPN; Radio: 570, 1330.

Records: Clippers 31-21; Knicks 22-31.

Record vs. Knicks: Clippers 2-0 (2015-16 season).

Update: The Clippers have defeated the Knicks eight consecutive times. The struggling Knicks have lost seven of their last 10 games. … The Knicks have scored pretty well, averaging 105.8 points per game, 12th-best in the NBA. But they don’t play much defense, allowing 108.8 points per game, ranking them 25th in the league.

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