On an evening the Knicks obtained triple-doubles from two gamers for the primary time in franchise historical past, the sport ball went to a rookie with two factors in three minutes.
It was an extended and arduous street for Kevin McCullar Jr., who was sidelined for roughly a yr with a knee harm earlier than making his NBA debut in Tuesday’s 128-113 victory over the Mavericks.
The 56th total choose in final yr’s draft was then handed the sport ball by Josh Hart, who broke Clyde Frazier’s file for many Knicks triple-doubles in a season however had purpose at hand the rock to McCullar.
“For me, that’s an easy decision,” Hart stated. “That record is cool and a blessing, but at the end of the day that record’s going to get broken at some point. Hopefully, later rather than sooner. But that’s going to get broken. Getting your first NBA points, nobody can take that away from you. It’s important that he had that, got the game ball for that. That’s an easy decision for me.”
McCullar, a 24-year-old wing out of Kansas, was grateful for the ball and the second.
“It’s been rough, but I kept my head on straight. Everybody has been supporting me here and I’m just glad that I’m back playing now,” McCullar stated, including, “Adversity makes you who you are and everybody goes through it in different ways of life. … Growing up, that’s all I’ve known is playing basketball.”
McCullar was a late addition to Tuesday’s energetic record — the primary time he cracked the NBA roster.
Mitchell Robinson stays restricted from enjoying in each video games of back-to-backs, leaving the middle as a DNP on Tuesday towards the Mavericks.
Formally, Robinson, who sat 10 months following ankle surgical procedure, was on the harm report for harm administration.
The expectation is he’ll play Wednesday evening towards the Clippers.
It was the third time Robinson missed one recreation of a back-to-back set.
With 4 extra on the schedule, Tom Thibodeau supplied little on whether or not restrictions will probably be lifted.
“We’re watching, monitoring how he’s progressing,” Thibodeau stated. “There are certain guidelines we’re trying to follow and then we’ll go from there. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Robinson has additionally operated on a steadily easing minutes restriction since returning.
Miles McBride missed his second straight recreation with a groin contusion, an harm he sustained in Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs.
However, McBride performed 36 minutes the next day in Charlotte.
Then the harm was extreme sufficient to maintain him out of consecutive video games.
Thibodeau deflected when requested how that occurred.
“Just day to day,” the coach stated. “Just see how he’s responding.”
