Mitchell Robinson

Report: Knicks still eyeing Lonzo Ball trade; Mitchell Robinson draws interest from teams

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New York Knicks, Lonzo Ball

After dealing away Austin Rivers and Ignas Brazdeikis, the New York Knicks appear to have still some moves to make as the NBA trade deadline reaches its 11th hour.

Ian Begley of SNY reports that the Knicks remains active in discussion with the New Orleans for a potential trade involving Lonzo Ball.

ESPN’s Andrew Lopez just reported that Ball pulled himself out early in today’s practice.

Ball is set to become a restricted free agent in the offseason. Trading for Ball now means the Knicks will have the right to match any offer he can get from the other teams.

Mitchell Robinson, who was impressive in his second game back from hand surgery, is also garnering some interest. Begley reports that teams have reached out to the Knicks about trading for Robinson.

It is unclear if Robinson is on the table for a Ball deal.

The Knicks have been linked to Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Andre Drummond for quite some time now. If Robinson is flipped for Ball, then a Drummond deal via trade or buyout market makes more sense for the Knicks.

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Knicks center Mitchell Robinson cleared to play, says he’s ready to return

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

Mitchell Robinson could return as early as Sunday when the New York Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Madison Square Garden.

Robinson, who has missed the New York Knicks’ last 15 games, has been upgraded to questionable.

Tom Thibodeau said the 23-year old center is close to returning.

“[Mitchell] is getting close. He’s been cleared. He’s done more, so we’ll see how he responds to contact,” Thibodeau told reportersThibodeau told reporters after Saturday’s practice. “You know, the conditioning piece is important as well. But he’s been cleared from a physical standpoint.”

Robinson underwent surgery last Feb. 16 to repair a fracture on his right hand, which he sustained against the Washington Wizards last Feb. 12. He was initially diagnosed to miss four to six weeks. This is already his fifth week of recovery.

The Knicks went 9-6 in his absence, with Nerlens Noel admirably filling in his spot in the starting unit. They currently sit at the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with a .500 record (21-21) entering Sunday’s game.

Robinson tweeted that he’s ready to go shortly after the Knicks announced his upgraded status.

Thibodeau was non-committal if he’ll play Robinson tomorrow. He’s expected to be eased into the rotation and eventually return to his usual starting role.

”I want to see how that [return] goes. There’s great versatility there [at his position]. But eventually, he’ll get back to starting, whether that happens right away or down the road. But I’m reallly comfortable with both guys (Robinson and Noel) in that role and with Taj (Gibson) as well. That gives us great depth in that position,” Thibodeau said.

The Knicks are looking to avenge their 99-96 loss against the 76ers in Philadelphia earlier this week.

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John Hollinger suggests how Knicks can land Lonzo Ball, Victor Oladipo

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The New York Knicks point guard woes is nearing the red alert level with Immanuel Quickley (sore ankle) joining Elfrid Payton (hamstring) and Derrick Rose (health and safety protocols) at the sidelines entering Thursday’s game against the visiting Orlando Magic.

The Knicks are left with Frank Ntilikina and two-way player Jared Harper as the only point guards. New York coach Tom Thibodeau would only break the emergency glass and reach for Harper when push comes to shove. But against the Magic, who are also without their top two point guards, Thibodeau can survive with Ntilikina in the starting lineup. RJ Barrett and point-forward Julius Randle will be helping in playmaking. Alec Burks will again be the Knicks’ part-time point guard.

But this band-aid solution won’t get the Knicks over the hump in their playoff push.

John Hollinger, the former Memphis Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations and now a front office insider for The Athletic, suggested two trades that could help the Knicks immediately and set them up for the future.

Solving Knicks PG woes

In a trade deadline talk with William Guillory, The Athletic’s New Orleans Pelicans beat writer, Hollinger threw a wild trade scenario that would land Lonzo Ball in New York.

Hollinger’s trade proposal:

Knicks will acquire

  • Lonzo Ball
  • JJ Redick
  • Jaxson Hayes

Pelicans will acquire

  • Mitchell Robinson
  • Elfrid Payton
  • Austin Rivers
  • Ignas Brazdeikis
  • Dallas’ 2021 first-round pick
  • lightly protected 2021 Knicks first-round pick

Hollinger noted that it’s an overpay, but it’s the only way the Pelicans should be tempted to part ways with Ball, who has turned the corner after a slow start to this season.

Ball is coming off a career-high 17 assists and 11 points in the Pelican’s one-point loss to Portland Trail Blazers the other night. His shooting, which has been his game’s perceived weakness, is coming along well this year. He’s a reliable 39 percent three-point shooter on 7.7 attempts this season. More importantly, he’s shooting 47 percent of his corner 3s, per Cleaning the Glass.

This trade, according to Hollinger, will help the Knicks’ playoff push with Ball and Redick. It would also be easier for the Knicks to retain Ball’s services in the offseason as they could match any offer sheet he can get in the market.

It should be noted that the Mavericks have now entered the Western Conference’s playoff picture after a slow start. They have now won seven of their last 10 games. If the Mavericks continue their upward trend, the 2021 first-round pick they owe to the Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade will land outside the lottery.

Firepower help

The other deal Hollinger proposed in his column today is for Houston Rockets’ Victor Oladipo.

Hollinger’s trade proposal:

Knicks will acquire

  • Victor Oladipo
  • Sterling Brown

Rockets will acquire

  • Frank Ntilikina
  • Kevin Knox
  • Detroit’s 2021 second-round pick
  • Minnesota’s 2021 second-round pick
  • $5.2 million cash

Hollinger noted that Oladipo’s Bird Rights would give the Knicks some wiggle room in roster construction next season as they could retain him without using the cap room.

Oladipo is coming off his best game in Houston uniform against his former coach Nate McMillan and the soaring Atlanta Hawks. Oladipo played like an All-Star in that 109-117 loss last Tuesday, leading the Rockets with a season-high 34 points on 13-for-20 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3. He also handed out five assists and grabbed three rebounds in 41 minutes.

Before the game, McMillan provided clues as to why he believes Oladipo could soon return to the elite level he once was.

“I was with him last season,” McMillan said. “I know what he has done to commit to getting his body back to as close to what he was before the injury. He has invested in making sure he has everything he needs as far as trainers and doctors and putting in the work to get to that point.”

Oladipo proved McMillan right on the court that night.

Now, it’s up to the Knicks whether they believe that Oladipo can get back to that level consistently under Thibodeau.

If yes, cashing in on the Mavericks’ pick, as Hollinger suggested, could do the trick.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks Injury Update: Mitchell Robinson cleared to practice

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Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks have thrived and managed to get to as high as the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference without Mitchell Robinson. But after losing three of their last four since the All-Star break, the Knicks desperately need help to finish games.

While Robinson could still be weeks away from returning, his recovery progress has been encouraging.

The Knicks’ young center was seen at team practices and pre-game routines doing some light work without a cast in the last few days. New York coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed that Robinson had been cleared for non-contact drills. The next step for him is to go through practice.

“I know he’s been evaluated. He can get [contact], but not game contact yet,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks’ 99-96 loss in Philadelphia.

Robinson has missed the Knicks’ last 14 games. New York won eight during his absence, relying on Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson and sometimes playing Julius Randle as a small-ball center.

The Knicks were also rumored to be shopping for a big man linking them to Cleveland Cavaliers’ Andre Drummond and Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner.

But it was unclear whether those interests came before or after Robinson went down with an injury. Robinson underwent surgery last February 16 to repair a fracture in his right hand.

It seems his hand has been healing well.

“There’s a progression to what he goes through. Everything looks good,” Thibodeau said.

Initially, Robinson was projected to miss four to six weeks. He’s now on the fifth week of recovery.

“He’s done a lot of running on the court—that sort of thing and ball handling with the left hand. And now, the next phase is for him to go through practice. Take contact there, and we all know the intensity of the game is a lot different than practice. That will be the next step, and then once he clears that, he’ll be ready to go,” Thibodeau said.

There’s no definite timetable yet for his return.

Can the Knicks afford more time to wait for him, or will they pull the trigger on a trade to bring in frontcourt help for their playoff push?

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

With Drummond, Turner on Knicks’ radar, what does this mean for Robinson?

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myles turner, knicks, pacers

First, it was Andre Drummond. Now it’s Myles Turner.

A day after Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the New York Knicks‘ interest in Andre Drummond, Indy Star’s J. Michael further fueled speculations that the Knicks are indeed shopping for an established big man.

Michael added the Knicks into a group that includes the two Los Angeles teams, Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans, which inquired on Turner’s availability.

Turner is in the second year of a four-year, $80-million deal with $70 million guaranteed money.

The Indiana Pacers, though, aren’t shopping Turner, according to Michael’s report, despite making him available in the offseason in a Gordon Hayward deal with the Boston Celtics that was stalled.

Nevertheless, the story only raised questions about Mitchell Robinson’s future with the Knicks.

It is unclear if the Knicks’ interest in Drummond and Turner began after Robinson went down with a broken hand.

Robinson has firmly established himself as a starter this season after a shaky start with Tom Thibodeau.

Before Robinson’s injury, he was the bedrock of the Knicks’ defense, which was ranked third in the league at that time. Thibodeau has been effusive in his praise for the young big man.

But Thibodeau also didn’t hide in his interviews that he’s seeking established players that can help him win in the league.

“I have a strong bias towards good players. I know they (front office) are looking at all the possibilities. If something makes sense for us, we’ll do it. If not, I love the team that we have. I love the guys that we have on the team,” Thibodeau said last week when asked about the Knicks’ plans as the March 25 trade deadline approaches.

Drummond is the league’s leading rebounder and a two-time NBA All-Star, while Turner has been leading the league in shot blocks since last season. Both are better players than Robinson at this stage of their careers. Between Drummond and Turner, the latter fits more the Knicks’ young core as he will only turn 25 this month. Drummond is three years older.

If the Knicks will be successful in bringing either of them or a player of their caliber, what will happen to Robinson?

Will he be amenable to slide back to the bench, or will the Knicks shop him?

Robinson is on a team-friendly contract with a $1.8 million team option for next season. If the Knicks exercise that option, they can have Robinson for another season backing up or competing for minutes with whoever they bring in. But they could also lose him for nothing via free agency in 2022 unless they flip him in next year’s trade deadline.

There’s also a better scenario for the Knicks, which ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks suggested:

“To protect themselves long term, the smart thing is to decline the option and give Robinson a qualifying offer. That would make him a restricted free agent, and because of his low $2.1 million cap hold, New York can use cap space first and then circle back to sign him,” Marks wrote.

The Knicks will have roughly $45 million cap space this summer.

The next eight days and even this summer will be interesting for Robinson and the Knicks.

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What could Andre Drummond cost the Knicks? Is he worth the price?

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New York Knicks, Andre Drummond

With starting center Mitchell Robinson still on the recovery from his fractured right hand surgery, the New York Knicks have done their due diligence on Cleveland Cavaliers’ big man Andre Drummond.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Knicks have explored the possibility of adding Drummond, a four-time NBA rebounding leader and a two-time All-Star, for their playoff chase.

Charania added that the Knicks are mulling a multi-year deal to lure Drummond from going elsewhere. Title contenders Los Angeles Lakers and the Knicks’ crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets are believed to be potential destinations for Drummond should he enter a buyout agreement and becomes a free agent.

The Knicks, however, can also outright eliminate other suitors if they trade for Drummond, and it will probably cost them a second-round pick and/or two of three salary fillers from their expendable players like Austin Rivers, Frank Ntilikina, or even Kevin Knox. The Cavaliers are believed to be seeking an asset in return for Drummond.

But if the Knicks wanted to join the Drummond sweepstakes via buyout, what can they offer in a multi-year deal to pry him away from the minimum deal that comes with the glittery promise of a Larry O’Brien trophy in Los Angeles or Brooklyn?

Drummond’s market price

ESPN Front Office Insider and former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks gave us an idea of Drummond’s price range in the open market.

“He’s a $15-17 million player,” Marks told Empire Sports Media.

But he’s also skeptical if he’ll be worth it since he believes Drummond won’t be a major upgrade from Robinson.

“They are a first-round [playoff] team right now,” Marks said. And he answered with an emphatic “No” when asked if Drummond gives the Knicks a better shot of advancing deeper in the playoffs.

At a bare minimum, the Knicks can use Drummond as insurance for Robinson [if he’ll be out longer than expected] as they navigate the third toughest schedule in the second half.

Drummond averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 25 games for the Cavaliers before he was shut down.

In contrast, Robinson was averaging 8.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.1 blocks before he went down with an injury last month. Backup center Nerlens Noel is averaging 6.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks since he took over from Robinson.

Risk-cost benefit

When Robinson comes back at full health, Tom Thibodeau would have more options.

If he wants to generate more offense from the post, he could roll with the more offensively-polished Drummond. But if he wants rim protection, Robinson could have more value on the court. This could make Noel expendable and move Taj Gibson further down the rotation.

Drummond will be a bigger weapon to have against Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo or the firepower-heavy Nets in a potential first-round playoff series. But as Marks suggested, Drummond won’t push the Knicks over the first-round hump.

However, the bigger concern would be the risk of drilling a hole in the already solid Knicks’ chemistry.

Drummond could eat into the Knicks’ lone post threat Julius Randle’s usage rate on top of potentially rubbing Robinson the wrong way. Unless the Knicks intend to flip Robinson into a major backcourt upgrade such as Lonzo Ball or in a larger package for an All-Star level guard like Bradley Beal or Victor Oladipo, Leon Rose and his shrewd front office could be on to something.

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Knicks News: Derrick Rose return in question, Mitchell Robinson injury update

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New York Knicks, Derrick Rose

The New York Knicks are set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday evening, which should present a significant challenge. Milwaukee is coming off six wins over seven games, so they will be no easy contest for New York, who will be without starting point guard Derrick Rose, and his return is still up in the air for the remainder of this week.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was skeptical that Rose would make a return within the next few days, but he’s confident that their youth can get the job done in the meantime. The league mandates that a player must be out for 10 days and then work out for an additional two days before returning from positive Covid tests. Luckily for Rose, the All-Star break gave him a good cushion to work off of, but he still has a bit more time to waste until he can make an official return.

“To be honest I can’t answer that because I don’t know,’’ Thibodeau said when asked if Rose would be returning to the team soon. “I’m following what Dr. [Lisa] Callahan and what the league says. Once there’s clearance he’ll be available. When we get updated, we’ll update you guys. You’ve seen it throughout the league how it’s been handled. We know it’s serious it is with COVID and we want to take every safety precaution we can.’’

How is Mitchell Robinson’s rehab coming along?

The Knicks expected starting Center Mitchell Robinson to be out for quite some time after fracturing his hand several weeks ago. It seemed as if he was making solid progress but is still ways away from a return. In his absence, Nerlens Noel has stepped up in a big way, averaging 4.9 points, 2.0 blocks, and 6.1 rebounds over 22.2 minutes. His defense has been the catalyst for New York at times but doesn’t offer much on offense.

“There’s still no set timetable,’’ Thibodeau said. “He’s starting to do more. We’re probably a little ways away. But the conditioning, he’s been very diligent in putting extra work in. so his conditioning is pretty good. The basketball part, he hasn’t been able to scrimmage or anything like that. But he’s handling the ball with his left hand and doing a lot of running. We just have to be patient and let it run it’s course.’’

Luckily, Robinson will make a return at some point this year, and hopefully, the Knicks are in a spot to make a playoff push. Getting back one of their essential pieces will hopefully be a major boost, and we can only hope his rehabilitation goes well.

Knicks begin life without Mitchell Robinson with easy victory over Rockets

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Nerlens Noel picked up the slack on defense while the 35-year old Taj Gibson turned back the clock and was spinning like he was 18.

Tom Thibodeau couldn’t ask for more as the New York Knicks’ collective effort enabled them to ace their first test without their starting center Mitchell Robinson.

On the day they learned that Robinson, who fractured his right hand, would be out for at least a month, the New York Knicks flaunted their depth in a huge 121-99 win against the Houston Rockets.

Their backup centers turned in inspired performances that more than filled up Robinson’s absence.

Noel collected 10 points, six boards, and two swats in his first start of the season, while Gibson added four points, including a beautiful spin drive to the basket off a Derrick Rose assist. He added five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

“They’re both great pros. You know they’re always ready whatever comes their way,” said Thibodeau praising his backup big men.

“Taj’s motor is an asset because it doesn’t need five minutes to warm up in the game. Once he’s in the game, he’s going. Nerlens is terrific in terms of the rim protection defensively, pick and roll defense and then putting pressure on the rim. And oftentimes, you didn’t see the value of that because it doesn’t show in the statistics of him going hard to the rim. But what it does is that it opens up shots for people. You can’t overlook that,” Thibodeau added.

Julius Randle was a steady presence in the starting unit as he came one rebound short of a double-double (22 points, nine rebounds, and two assists).

But it was the electric backcourt tandem of Rose and Immanuel Quickley once again who stepped on the gas.

Save for an anxious moment in the third quarter when the Rockets came within five, the Knicks threw a fun party at The Garden in the second night of a back-to-back.

The Knicks’ second unit quickly sucked the air out of the Rockets that kept them grounded.

Rose had another impactful role off the bench with 16 points and three assists while Quickley hit four triples en route to his fifth 20-point performance in his young career. Quickley, the 25th pick of the Draft, tied Randle with 22 points while the Knicks’ lottery pick Obi Toppin scored 11 and put on the exclamation point with a vicious alley-oop dunk off a Kevin Knox lob pass.

Eric Gordon and John Wall combined for 50 points for the Rockets, who were missing Victor Oladipo and Christian Wood. They got little help from the rest of the team.

The Knicks’ second unit, led by the Rose-Quickley tandem, outscored their Rockets’ counterpart, 58-30.

“The balance of our team (was the difference). Our bench has given us a big lift. You need that in a game like this. Like tonight, we’re on a back-to-back, and they were waiting for us. I thought our energy was terrific,” Thibodeau said.

It was their second straight blowout win as they continue their steady climb in the standings. Their 13th win in 28 games has enabled them to move up to seventh in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks hope to sustain their winning form when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks bracing for worst-case scenario with Mitchell Robinson’s injury

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knicks, mitchell robinson
Next man up! New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has no other recourse but to lean on Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson as the next men up to fill up the gaping hole vacated by Mitchell Robinson. The 23-year old Robinson, the Knicks’ defensive anchor, suffered a fractured right hand in the Knicks’ 109-101 win over the Washington Wizards Friday night. He hurt his right hand when his hand collided with Julius Randle’s elbow while going for a rebound. Robinson had 10 points, 14 rebounds, and four steals in 20 minutes before he left. (Editor’s note: ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported minutes after this story came out that Robinson will undergo sugery and is expected to be out four to six weeks).

Robinson injury explained

A New York City-based Performance Physical Therapist & High-Performance Consultant had a dimmer outlook before Wojnarowski’s report.
“I watched the tape of the play. It looks like [Robinson] sustained the fracture in a wrist extended position, which is most commonly associated with distal radial fractures,” Dr. Ernest S. Eusebio told Empire Sports Media.
Dr. Eusebio, who has worked with NBA, MLB, NFL athletes, and Olympians, is the founder of the Wolves Performance & Lifestyle Collective, an all-encompassing high-performance consultancy providing solutions in Professional Sport, Entertainment, & Fortune 500. He is also an awarded clinician by the American Health Council (Best in Patient Care). Dr. Eusebio explained that there are several types of that injury.
“But typically they all involve fractures or displacement of the local structures proximal to the distal radius. Bones typically heal within a 6-8 week time frame, but high-level rim protectors, like Mitch, who have to consistently use their hands to anchor defense and finish plays at the rim, might need to undergo specialized performance physical therapy for about 10-12 weeks to feel normal again,” Dr. Eusebio added.
After Wojnarowski’s report came out, Dr. Eusebio said that “historically, the 4-6 weeks is the timeline of clearance to run through some practice time.”
“They found a fourth metacarpal fracture. Better outlook than a true distal radial fracture,” Dr. Eusebio explained. “It’s still the same region of the hand.”
Thibodeau doesn’t want to dwell on the negative as the Knicks are in the thick of the fight for a playoff spot this season. Entering Saturday’s home game against the Houston Rockets, the Knicks are on the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference with their 12-15 record.

Life without Robinson

Thibodeau will lean on their depth, and Kevin Knox, whose status he earlier described as situational, may find his way back into the rotation.  

“We’ll have some flexibility. We could play smaller,” Thibodeau said after last night’s win in Washington.

“I like what Taj gives us. Obviously, the great value and the things that Mitch brought to the team was the defensive component, and I feel that Nerlens does many of those things extremely well. And of course, Taj, that’s been his strength throughout his career. So I don’t want to lose that piece of it. But I like the way Obi’s coming on. He’s giving us good minutes. So we have that option. We can downsize and can play Kevin (Knox) at the 4. Play Julius at the 5. There’s a number of things that we can do,” he added. 

Collective effort

Thibodeau was using a tight 10-man rotation before Robinson’s injury. Noel is usually the first center off the bench to spell Robinson. He anchored the Knicks’ defense in the second half last night, and he is expected to replace Robinson in the starting lineup. He had four points, four rebounds, and three blocks in 16 minutes, while Gibson is averaging 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench since Derrick Rose’s arrival.
“I like the versatility of the team. But anytime you lose a player of Mitch’s caliber, we have to make sure we’re playing hard. We can’t replace that individually. We have to do it collectively, and everyone has gonna have to step up,” Thibodeau stressed. 
Life without Robinson begins today when they go up against the undermanned Houston Rockets, who will be missing key players Victor Oladipo (sore right foot) and Christian Wood (ankle sprain). Veteran bruiser PJ Tucker is questionable for the Rockets. Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks rout Wizards but lose Mitchell Robinson to injury

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Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks caught a break when the Washington Wizards opted to rest their superstar guard Bradley Beal on their Friday night matchup.

The Knicks, as expected, rolled to a 109-91 win and improved to 12-15 in the season. But they also caught a tough break with center Mitchell Robinson going down with a fractured right hand along the way.

Robinson was on pace to a monster performance when the injury happened in the second quarter. He hurt his right hand when his hand collided with Julius Randle’s elbow while going for a rebound. He had 10 points, 14 rebounds, and four steals in 20 minutes before he left.

Robinson will be re-evaluated upon their return in New York, where the Knicks are set to host the Houston Rockets in Madison Square Garden.

Randle bounces back

Even without Robinson in the second half, the Knicks still dominated the game, with Randle flashing his All-Star form and Derrick Rose pushing the pace.

Randle bounced back from a sub-par game against Miami with his fifth 20-point, 15-rebound game of the season, tying Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic. Only Cleveland’s Andre Drummond had more of those games with seven, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Randle paced the Knicks with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and four assists. His three-pointer with 7:27 left in the third quarter quelled a Washington rally, giving New York a six-point breather.

The Knicks were never seriously threatened the rest of the way and led by as many as 25.

Potent bench

The Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley backcourt tandem again provided the spark off the bench.

The Knicks’ second unit outscored the Wizards’ bench, 49-27.

Rose finished with 14 points and a team-high six assists in 20 minutes. He also added four of the Knicks’ 11 steals. Quickley put up 16 points in 22 minutes. New York’s lottery pick Obi Toppin is also starting to get comfortable with Rose as he came away with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting.

The Knicks’ defense limited the Wizards to just 38.2 percent shooting from the field.

Russell Westbrook led Washington with a near triple-double (23 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists) but committed five turnovers.

Barrett struggles anew

The Knicks bullied the Wizards inside the paint, 58-42, and they crashed the boards, coming away with 24 second-chance points to Wizards’ seven.

Elfrid Payton was also solid with 12 points on 50 percent shooting in only 23 minutes on the floor.

RJ Barrett continued to struggle with his shot, going 3-for-13 for just eight points. It was the second time in the last three games he failed to score in double digits.

Next man up

With Mitchell expected to miss extended time, the Knicks will count on Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson to hold the fort. Noel and Gibson combined for 10 points and seven rebounds.

“It was probably the best first half of the year for [Mitchell]. Obviously, we know how important he is to the team. And anytime someone gets hurt, you certainly feel for him. But we have to be ready for the next one as you know, the games keep on coming,” Thibodeau said after the game.

“I thought Nerlens stepped in and did a good job in the second half. And that’s the great value of having a guy like Taj on the roster. So the next man up! We have to circle the wagons and be ready to go.”

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo