Karl-Anthony Cities practiced Tuesday after leaving Sunday’s recreation briefly in opposition to Boston and stated he would see how his knee felt Wednesday earlier than figuring out whether or not he’d play in opposition to the 76ers at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Cities was listed as questionable on the damage report, whereas Josh Hart additionally practiced Tuesday and Tom Thibodeau anticipated him to be good for Wednesday’s recreation after lacking two straight with a knee damage earlier than returning Sunday.
Cities is averaging 24.8 factors and a career-best 13.5 rebounds per recreation.
Requested if he believed he was having the very best season of his profession, Cities stated: “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.”
So long as he stays wholesome, the Knicks needs to be in fine condition — although they haven’t been in opposition to three of the highest groups within the league, because the Knicks are winless in seven video games versus Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma Metropolis.
“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.”
After falling flat versus Boston and Cleveland of their previous two video games, the Knicks will tackle maybe the league’s most disappointing crew, the 76ers, Wednesday at MSG.
It’s a rematch of their first-round matchup a 12 months in the past, received by the Knicks in six video games.
Now, the Sixers have misplaced eight straight and are exterior playoff rivalry.
They’ll be with out Joel Embiid once more Wednesday, because the star middle was dominated out with damage administration.
He’s appeared in simply 19 video games this season after enjoying in solely 39 throughout final 12 months’s common season.
Cameron Payne was on final 12 months’s Philadelphia crew and appeared in 5 video games within the playoff sequence versus the Knicks.
The 30-year-old has develop into a key contributor for the Knicks this 12 months following his lone season with the 76ers.
Payne stated he’s shocked by how a lot his former crew has dropped off.
“Because on paper, I know what a great team they have,’’ Payne said. “They just need to get healthy. I was there. I know what they’re about. They’re a good team. Even with people being out, you have to watch them. We have to prepare for them.”
He stated the sequence between the 2 groups “comes up all the time” now that Payne is a Knick.
“I’m on the Knicks side now,’’ Payne said. “They remember it. They don’t let it go. … It’s cool man. I love it here.”
