Pivot Mitchell Robinson is absent after hand surgery, so it was not ideal for the Knicks when Taj Gibson hobbled into the locker room during the first half of Saturday night.
Nerlens Noel remained in the game after Gibson left, despite having suffered three fouls and recording the season’s record in 41 minutes with the Knicks in the 110-107 victory over the Pacers at the Garden.
“Obviously we needed this, we needed the size, we needed the rim protection,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “The next man. We have more than enough with the players we have. I know [the front office] will analyze the players that are available. This is their area. I’m just focused on the guys we have. Let’s find a way. “
At the end of the second quarter, Thibodeau replaced Noel and employed a small ball line with Julius Randle in the center and Kevin Knox, who had recently been replaced, moving briefly back into rotation. Newcomer striker Obi Toppin also participated in this line-up with Randle, but he played only six minutes.
The owner of the game Elfrid Payton also lost the second consecutive game with a tendon strain in his right thigh.
Payton remains on a day-to-day basis and is “making some progress”, added Thibodeau, but “is not quite ready”. He missed 17 games between October and December last season with a hamstring injury.
“Injuries are part of the game. It is unfortunate. You have to trust your medical staff, trust the player, ”said Thibodeau. “When he says he is ready to go, he will go. I have a lot of confidence in him, I trust him. You want to be smart. “
The Knicks went with the same line-up they used in Thursday’s victory over Kings, which means that Derrick Rose started. Thibodeau also stayed with Frank Ntilikina on the rotation after the old lottery pick made its first appearance since December 29 against the Kings.
Rose finished with 17 points, 11 assists and four steals, including a combined defensive turn in Indiana’s final possession. Ntilikina took down two important free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining to finish with five points in 11 minutes.