New York Knicks big man Ariel Hukporti suffered a knee injury in his first career start and will miss extended time.
It’s bad news for the Knicks, who are dealing with multiple injuries at the center position. All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns sat out Wednesday’s game with knee soreness and Mitchell Robinson has yet to make his season debut.
Hukporti is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a torn meniscus, per Shams Charania of ESPN. He played 16 minutes in a 110-105 win against the Philadelphia 76ers, notching eight points and a pair of rebounds. Hukporti also added a block. Hukporti injured his knee in the third quarter. He attempted to return in the fourth but could not stay on the court.
The injury thins out the Knicks’ frontcourt but Hukporti hasn’t been a major contributor. He’s appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game.
Knicks Center Mitchell Robinson Nearing Return
Fortunately for the Knicks, Robinson appears close to making his debut. He’s recently been cleared for full practice and is expected to play this week. Robinson could play Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday against the Miami Heat.
“I’ve just been taking my time. I want to make sure it’s 100%. I ain’t trying to keep having these sit-outs and setbacks and stuff like that,” Robinson said earlier this month. “This time, I’m just going to play it smart. Usually, I’d be young and dumb to go out there and try to get back as fast as I can. I can’t do that no more.”
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gave Robinson a solid review after practicing on Tuesday.
“He looks good. He’s still got to get his timing down, but overall, he’s moving really well,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
Knicks Need Karl-Anthony Towns Healthy
Towns got some well-deserved time off against the Sixers. The Knicks can’t risk their big man getting any more banged up. He was hobbled during a loss to the Celtics but finished the game.
The Knicks are 38-20, good for third in the Eastern Conference. However, New York has struggled against the top teams — the Cavaliers, Celtics and Thunder — going 0-7 in those contests.
“We understand we have certain expectations on us and we want to fulfill those and also exceed them,’’ Towns said. “Those teams, we haven’t played the best against this year and we haven’t come out on top. But we stay confident in this locker room, continue to move forward, continue to find ourselves getting better every single day. We’re hoping we can be the best version of ourselves and this team when it’s playoff time and the time is needed.”
Towns is averaging 24.8 points and a career-best 13.5 rebounds per game. He was named an All-Star starter but still didn’t say with certainty that this has been the best year of his 10-year career.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. I feel like I’ve had some really, really great seasons. I think the only constant in all that is I continue to put the work in, regardless of what people thought or not. I’ll let the fans decide that.”
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