Reggie Bullock’s season started on time this season. And he nailed it.
Bullock, the 29-year-old veteran who started all four games, hit five points from 3 points and scored 17 points in the Knicks’ 95-86 victory over the Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Tuesday, which kicked off a series of four travel games.
Last season, which started at the usual time in October, Bullock did not make his Knicks debut until January, after recovering from spinal fusion surgery. Now he looks perfectly healthy and is in an unexpected start job.
“His defense has been fantastic,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “Just seeing him move around the court, he is not trying as hard as last year. He’s been a good professional wherever he is. I talked to people who trained and played with him, they consider him a lot. His health is important and he has demonstrated it so far. ”
Bullock says major surgery is a thing of the past. Knicks President Leon Rose bought the $ 4.2 million Bullock option last month before the free agency.
“I worked a lot on my body,” said Bullock. “I have my right body. I’m really looking after my body this season. The neck problem is now behind us. “
Perhaps there is a chance that Alec Burks will eventually be transferred to the starting lineup when he is healthy. Burks missed Tuesday’s game in Cleveland with a sprained ankle. But Thibodeau can stay with this group of five men.
Bullock is no longer in the headlines due to the malfunction of his Saturday shirt when he had No. 25 on the front and No. 23 on the back – a mess that rocked social media.
“I definitely found out later,” said Bullock. “If I had noticed, I definitely wouldn’t have put the shirt on. But it was really funny. It was a hilarious thing for the team. We got a good laugh out of it. ”
Austin Rivers has lost all four preseason games and now the first four games of the regular season as he moves towards his Knicks debut. He did his first contact exercises on Monday.
“There is a progression to return,” said Thibodeau. “He was doing condition without contact. Then it moves to controlled movements one by one. Then it progressed to two against two. And then three against three. We are in phase three against three now. It is day-to-day how he feels and whether we go to the next step. There are more steps to be followed. He has to play five against five and practice with the team. He’s still a few steps away. ”
The Cavaliers’ announcement that former All-Star Kevin Love will lose three to four weeks with a sprained right calf was not a good indicator for Knicks rookie Obi Toppin.
The Knicks announced that Toppin has a calf strain, but would be “reevaluated” in 7 to 10 days, without giving a timeline of when he could play. When Allonzo Trier was a newcomer to the Knicks, he lost 3 ¹ / ₂ weeks with a calf strain.