New York Post

Even bruising foes Kant’ stop Enes

- By FRED KERBER

Knicks center Enes Kanter had another opponent fall on him, injuring his neck. Plus, Kanter’s lower lip looked like he had gone a couple of rounds with Rocky Balboa.

So naturally, he turned in a doubledoub­le of 14 points and 10 rebounds Thursday in the Knicks’ 102-93 victory over the Celtics at the Garden. First, the neck. “It’s good. [Aron] Baynes fell on it again. But I’m fine, man. Got a little cuts and stuff,” said Kanter, who first injured his neck — the doctors even gave him a brace — when the Thunder’s Andre Roberson went up and came down on him Saturday.

And the lip?

“It’s from tonight. I’m fine though. I’m good to go for the next game,” Kanter, who is averaging a near double-double overall with 13.2 points and 9.8 rebounds, said in giving his typical response.

Kanter, whose political problems with the Turkish government became a hot topic this week, has been a physical mess all season. He missed three games with back spasms in late November. Then he injured a hip and wound up on crutches — but still played. Now there are neck issues. Before Thursday’s game, all was fine.

“He looks fine,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “The back is done with. He was really bad there for a while trying to play through it. We’ve had a couple of days to get rested, so he looked pretty bouncy.”

Even Baynes coming down on his neck in the first half did not stop Kanter from torturing the Celtics.

“Kanter has been the guy that has absolutely given us fits forever,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

“My mindset is just go out there and just — I cannot say kill — just go out there and do my job every time,” Kanter said.

He did it for 23 minutes Thursday, on what turned out to be a night for the Knicks’ reserves, who outscored Boston’s bench, 56-20.

“It’s amazing, man. Obviously they’re always ready,” Kanter said. “If our bench plays like this, man, I don’t think anybody can keep up with us.”

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