Melo: Been advised to take time off

CHICAGO -- New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthonysat out Thursday night's 103-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls because of left knee soreness and admitted before Thursday's shootaround that people close to him are trying to get him to shut things down for a few weeks.

"I have multiple people say kind of just shut it down," Anthony said. "Or just take time off. But at the end of the day, it's hard for me to just do that right now in the midst of what's happening with the team and this season. So just trying to be smart about that."

Anthony said the knee started acting up again in Tuesday night's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and he acknowledged that he didn't do much during Wednesday's practice. He wanted to warm up tonight before making a final decision.

"It gets frustrating," he said. "Not knowing what's going to happen kind of with your body. So for me it's just taking it as the days come."

Anthony was hopeful that his knee would feel better with a few more days of treatment and said that "some days are better than others" as far as the pain in the knee goes.He has been feeling soreness since the Knicks' second game of the season. The team's medical staff has told him his condition will not improve if he continues to play -- but it also will not worsen.

He isn't sure what it would take to finally make the decision to rest it for a while.He said earlier this month that he would consider surgery as a last option.

"Some days it feels like I can go. Some days it feels like I have everything," Anthony said. "The other day it was a little sore in the first half and I didn't have no lift in my shot, and in the second half the lift came back a little bit. It's going to be off and on like that."

Derek Fisher said before Thursday's game that Anthony has to "balance" what's best for his career with what's best for his team.

The Knicks have a 5-23 record after Thursday's loss, 7 games back of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

"He doesn't like to sit out, he doesn't want to be away from the team but he also has still a bright future in front of him that he shouldn't jeopardize as well and I think he's savvy enough to make the right decision at the right time."

Anthony joined Knicks swingmanJ.R. Smith on the inactive list. Smith did not travel with the team to Chicago as he continues getting treatment for a plantar fascia injury.

Information from ESPNNewYork's Ian Begley was used in this report.