With a postseason spot clinched — just the second time in 10 years for the Knicks — coach Tom Thibodeau said he won’t consider resting his players until they’re locked into a seed.
“For us, we’re in but there’s still some things at stake,” the coach said. “If someone’s nicked up, they’re not going to play. But we need to keep playing. We want to be playing our best going in. We’re young, we still have a lot of improvement. But we’re not there yet. So if everything is locked up, maybe we would consider that. But there’s things that are still to be done.”
The Knicks (46-33), winners of four straight, can secure at least the fifth seed with a Nets loss Tuesday against the Timberwolves and a victory Wednesday at Indiana.
Since Julius Randle is already ruled out for the remainder of the season, the obvious player to rest is Jalen Brunson, who has recently missed games with a sore foot and sprained hand.
Brunson, who is playing with a brace on his right hand, is averaging career highs in minutes and usage. He’s also a candidate for Most Improved Player and All-NBA recognition.
“I want a chance to compete,” Brunson said. “Whenever you get a chance to do that, I think that’s the most important thing you want to do. I’m not really going to play for individual accolades. If you win, those things can come. But if you don’t win, it’s meaningless. For us, we have to continue to win as many games as possible. All the other stuff is going to fall into place, but I’m just here to win.”
Josh Hart, who twisted his ankle in Sunday’s victory over the Wizards (but got taped up and continued playing), is now the oldest player in the rotation at 28. He didn’t seem eager to rest.
It’s also worth noting that the Knicks will have at least six days off from the end of the regular season to the playoffs.
“If I can play, I can play,” Hart said. “Obviously other people have different thoughts. But as a competitor I want to play every game. I hate sitting out. So sometimes it’s not your decision. I’m not sure what philosophy we gave. But we have to go into the postseason strong, physically and as a team. I want to compete every game. We’ll see.”
()
