HARDWAY OK, BUT TEAM LOOKS WORSE FOR WEAR
As if Kristaps Porzingis’ season-ending torn ACL wasn’t bad enough, it could have been worse for the Knicks. Tim Hardaway Jr. may have escaped serious damage when he got kicked by Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lower left leg — the same exact spot in which he suffered a stress reaction.
Hardaway limped out with 6:23 left and went to the locker room for X-rays, which were negative. However, only an MRI exam/ bone scan can determine if there’s a recurrence of a stress injury that sidelined him six weeks.
“Just getting kicked in the exact spot where the pain was, where the fracture was, where the stress fracture was,’’ Hardaway said.
Antetokounmpo did other damage. He literally soared over Hardaway in the first half to put down an alley-oop. Hardaway was coming off three horrid games in which he shot 1-for-10, 1-for-14 and 3-for-9. In that third game, Sunday, he also made a series of late-game bloopers.
Hardaway said he hoped he would feel fine Wednesday and not need further testing.
“The X-rays were negative so that’s a good sign,’’ he said.
In December, Hardaway had what the Knicks announced was “a stress injury’’ — which medical experts say is either a stress reaction or stress fracture. It was the first time Hardaway referred to his past injury as a “stress fracture.’’
Enes Kanter is facing his own surgery, though not nearly as devastating as the one Kristaps Porzin
gis will have to endure. After having 19 stitches sewn into his mouth across a week’s span, Kanter will undergo oral surgery Wednesday because the stitches keep popping out. Kanter said it’s an hourlong procedure and he hopes to play the next game in Toronto on Thursday. Rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina isn’t going to see a big rise in minutes anytime soon, coach Jeff Hornacek said. Ntilikina’s new injury — tendinitis in his right quad — is further evidence, Hornacek said, the rookie isn’t ready for expanded minutes anytime soon.
The Knicks coach said beyond Ntilikina’s latest ailment, the organization’s philosophy is not to just to play young guys at the expense of losing games. Hornacek said he’s not sure if that is going to change even if the Knicks drop out of the playoff race in March.
“He’s had a lot of dings and bumps and now with a sore [quad] — we jumped him up to 25 minutes — how long is he going to last without having those same type issues,’’ Hornacek said.