Carmelo Anthony met with new boss Phil Jackson prior to the Knicks embarking on their five-game, West Coast road trip he now pronounces as "make or break" for the team's season.

One day after their season-long eight-game winning streak came to a halt with a brutal 106-100 loss to the Kyrie Irving-less Cavaliers, Anthony and his mates are seeking to regroup and save their underachieving season.

Carmelo won't wait on Knicks

"We should have won this game," a dejected Anthony told the New York Daily News after Sunday's Garden debacle. "We gave it away."

The Knicks know they can't afford many more episodes like Sunday, particularly with Anthony tenure as a Knicks still in question. Even though Jackson has made it a point of stressing he wants the league's No. 2 scorer back in a Knicks uniform, Anthony has let it be known he still plans to opt out of his current deal at the end of the season.

Nights like Sunday, won't help the Knicks' cause.

Is Carmelo a franchise player?

"I've got faith that we can make a run," Anthony told The News. "We've been playing extremely well. As far as how many wins it's gonna take, who knows? We've got to go play."

Will the Knicks make the playoffs? Tell us @SportsWN"