Taj Gibson has played sparingly since signing with the Knicks again in January, but the veteran big man gave the Knicks a defensive lift in the Garden on Sunday night.
With the start of center Mitchell Robinson, who was sidelined after hand surgery and replacement Nerlens Noel, Gibson has been linked with All-Star winger Karl-Anthony Towns and has made an important stop in the last seconds of Knicks’ 103-99 victory over Minnesota. .
With the Knicks ahead 99-98 and 23.2 seconds left, Towns (27 points) missed a short jumper.
“Mentally, to be ready for my teammates, just to try to inspire, to try to do what I have to do,” said Gibson, who from 2017-19 was a Towns teammate with the T’Wolves. ‘Just do not allow CAT to become a remedy. I’ve had some time around him knowing he wants to get in the middle of the track and shoot a running hook or a swing hook.
“It was a fight. I knew it was coming to him. I was lucky tonight. Just trying to use my body and just fighting. ‘
Former lottery selection Frank Ntilikina he has appeared in just four games this season – and nothing since injuring his right knee on December 29. He also spent a week in his hotel room in Miami earlier this month for COVID-19 contact detection, despite constantly testing negative for the virus. .
“It was definitely not the best, but it was probably for everyone’s health,” Ntilikina said. ‘I did my best to do just a few exercises in the room. I could not do much. Try to stay closed [in], stay focused on the season and on every goal. ”
The Knicks intended to use a small guard Dennis Smith Jr. to the G-League for game action before being traded to Detroit Derrick Rose, but Tom Thibodeau said “not yet” on the question of whether such an assignment is being considered for Ntilikina.
Austin Rivers he has only had five minutes in the previous five games, but he was unavailable on Sunday due to illness.