COVID hits Knicks on & off court
As if the reeling Knicks didn’t have enough problems, they were hit with another COVID-19 issue before Steph Curry’s attempt at history at MSG.
Rookie Quentin Grimes, fresh off his breakthrough performance Sunday, entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the Knicks announced Tuesday, joining teammates RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin. All three missed Tuesday night’s game against the Warriors.
Even broadcaster and Knick legend Walt Frazier entered health and safety protocols and will miss several games.
Alec Burks, who missed Sunday’s game because of the birth of his child, returned to the starting lineup for the Knicks. However, Grimes’ absence will likely mean continued playing time for Kevin Knox, who dropped a season-high 18 points in 29 minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Bucks.
Derrick Rose started at point guard and Burks moved to small forward.
“We’re all seeing it. It is what it is,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You just have to follow the guidelines with league and your medical staff. And you go from there.”
Players who enter the health and safety protocols because of a positive test can either return after 10 days or following two negative follow-up tests administered 24 hours apart. Toppin entered protocols on Saturday and Barrett on Sunday.
Grimes made his first career start on Sunday and dropped 27 points while setting the franchise’s rookie record for the 3-pointers, but the Knicks (12-15) were pummeled by the Bucks while losing for the sixth time in their last seven games.
Since the pandemic started, the Knicks never had multiple players test positive in the same timeframe. The players were 100% vaccinated at the start of this campaign, but it’s unclear how many received booster shots, which were recently recommended by the CDC and the NBA.
“I think we’re all hopeful it was getting better (regarding the pandemic),” Thibodeau said. “You’re watching it. Our medical staff has been fantastic. They’ve been talking to us all year about don’t let your guard down, there’s more coming. You try to take every precaution possible with the masks, six feet apart, all that stuff. But it is what it is and we all have to deal with it.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team would emphasize safety precautions during a two-day stay in the city, which is experiencing a COVID-19 spike with the Omnicron accounting for an increasing number of infections.