BOSTON — Karl-Anthony Cities refused to sit down this one out.
The Knicks’ All-Star heart landed awkwardly on his left knee whereas attacking the rim with below 9 minutes left in Sunday’s 118-105 loss to the Celtics.
He limped to the bench on the following possession, then walked off the court docket and into the locker room. Moments later, along with his staff trailing by 19, Cities emerged from the tunnel and checked himself again into the sport with 4:12 remaining.
Cities has handled proper knee tendinopathy this season, however it was his left knee that required surgical procedure final yr, when he underwent a mid-March process to restore a torn meniscus earlier than returning in time for the Timberwolves’ Western Convention Finals push.
“It’s a long season. It has peaks and valleys,” he stated. “It is what it is.”
Cities stated the Knicks’ medical workers wished to look at his knee after he exited within the fourth quarter, however he declined, opting to stroll it off and return to the ground as an alternative.
The consequences have been evident: a noticeable limp, lowered lateral motion and a diminished influence in what was already a determined recreation.
“He said he was fine,” head coach Tom Thibodeau stated when requested in regards to the choice to place Cities again onto the ground. “His rebounding was terrific.”
Cities completed with 24 factors and 18 rebounds within the loss to the Celtics.
His reply when requested about his knee urged some uncertainty about his availability for Wednesday’s matchup in opposition to Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
“[The knee is] good,” he stated. “We’ll just see how the next couple days go. Time will tell.”
CAP’S GOTTA LEAD
Jalen Brunson’s voice carries weight within the Knicks’ locker room, however after Sunday’s loss, he confused that management doesn’t at all times imply talking up — it’s about realizing when to.
“I think there’s always going to be times where there’s a lot of voices, a lot of people being vocal,” Brunson stated. “So it’s a matter of when and where to say something.
“When we have a lot of guys in here talking and trying to voice their opinion, for everyone to get on the same page is just knowing when to say something, because I think the more times you hear different voices, it can seem like too many cooks in the kitchen.
“So for me, it’s just knowing when to say something. And making sure I’m saying it early and often. I’ve got to be better at that because I’m not doing my job leading, just based on the way we’ve been playing.
“It falls on my shoulders, and I’m okay with that. I’ve got to be ready to step up and be better.”
NEGOTIATION TACTICS
Josh Hart returned from a two-game absence as a result of proper knee soreness and delivered the Knicks’ finest efficiency of the day — 20 factors, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists in 40 minutes.
Earlier than the sport, nonetheless, he couldn’t resist having some enjoyable explaining the rationale behind his prolonged hiatus.
“I was trying to make sure communications were back up [between] MSG and Optimum,” he stated, cracking a smile. “I saw what was going on the last couple of days.
“Now that we good, it’s green-lit, I’m back and ready to go. Negotiations are solid, so I left on good terms.”
Hart acknowledged that managing his knee shall be an ongoing problem, however he’s not letting it gradual him down.
“It’s something that comes and goes, something that I’ve managed for a long time — one time I was on the bubble in New Orleans, I would play and the next day, I really couldn’t even get to half court,” he stated. “It was a struggle for me to even jog to half court, and now I’m playing 48 minutes for Tom Thibodeau.
“So there’s peaks and valleys with it. Not really worried about it.
“All the time, I pray for it before every game. By His grace, I’m healed, so I go out there and play my game.”
Initially Printed: February 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM EST
