ABU DHABI, VAE – A back injury kept Josh Hart out of the Sixers in the Sixers in the Sixers preseason.
The official diagnosis of the Knicks was ‘spasms’, in which a team representative trivialized the seriousness.
“It’s the preseason and we are going to be mistaken on the side of caution,” said the representative. ‘We will see where he is when [we get home]. “
The Knicks flew back to New York on Saturday afternoon and play the next play against the Timberwolves in The Garden on Friday.
Hart collapsed to the court in the second quarter of Thursday opener on Thursday and then withdrew into the dressing room as he held his lower back.
The attacker was also ejected because he threw the ball in the stands while lying on the hardwood. He was not available for the media after Saturday morning’s shootaround.
In the meantime, OG Anunoby returned from an absence of one game because of a sprained hand and was impressive with 11 points in 13 minutes.
With Anunoby Back, Pacôme Dadite went from starter in game 1 to not play in the first half on Saturday, when he struggled again while he went scoreless in seven minutes with two errors.
Before the game, coach Mike Brown indicated that dadite, a pick in the first round in 2024, is certainly not a lock for the rotation.
“In terms of Pac in the rotation … I would not take too much into account that he started in the last game,” said Brown.
The coach sees the potential but requires more intensity.
“He could be defensively a monster. He just has to play with a sense of urgency defensive and consciously,” said Brown. “Occasionally he just relaxes. And when he relaxes, he does not use his height, his athletics and all the other attributes he has who makes him a big defender.”
Malcolm Brogdon got his chance in the battle for the last schedule spots on Saturday.
The Veteran-Point Guard played seven first half minutes in the win, two days after he gave birth to the two quarters. Brown said he will use the first half for his regular rotation players and then empty the bank at a certain point after the break.
Landry Shamet got his chance on Thursday and Garrison Mathews will probably get a crack in the first half in Friday’s game against the Timberwolves.
“Try to see different guys we have drawn with different combinations,” said Brown. “And she can throw in a different one – I can throw in a man for three minutes. And if I throw him in for three minutes, part of it is that I can use it in the regular season or I can use it that way if he makes the team in the regular season. So how does he respond? So I am experimenting now.”
Brogdon finished on Saturday with five points, four rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes, while the Knicks defeated the sixers with him on the field.
Brogdon, Mathews and Shamet are the front runners for a final schedule. The Knicks can only retain one of them. But the team could also make an exchange to open a different place before the regular season starts.
Shamet played nine scoreless minutes on Saturday, all in the third quarter. Mathews ended with six points on 1-of-5 shooting, all in the second half.
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