RJ Barrett hurts knee, Obi Toppin scores 35 as Knicks beat Wizards
RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks shoots in front of Deni Avdija #9 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images/Patrick Smith
WASHINGTON — As the Knicks made their last road trip of the season, the players who already had been sat down for the rest of the season remained behind — Julius Randle, Derrick Rose, Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel. It’s a roll call of players who once provided hope for a season long gone wrong.
The Washington Wizards, who entered the night tied with the Knicks at 35-45, played their part in making this game the equivalent of a summer league contest, sitting out Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who got a rest day — no joke — with one game remaining after this one.
The Knicks won, 114-92, dropping a spot behind the Wizards in the quest for ping-pong balls in the NBA Draft Lottery.
And the last man standing, it seemed, was RJ Barrett, taking his place as the face of the franchise even as the group he is leading is far different from the one he might have thought he’d be playing with down the stretch.
But in the closing minutes of the first half in a game that was more meaningful for lottery implications than anything else, Barrett suffered a sprained right knee, ending his night and possibly his season with one game left. (If the season indeed is over for him, he averaged 20.03 points per game.)
While the Knicks’ season basically came to an end when the trade deadline passed in February with no moves, coach Tom Thibodeau has stressed throughout all of the days that followed to finish the right way. And Barrett, who had 14 points in 15 minutes before departing, has done that on and off the court.
After playing in all 72 games last season (and the five playoff games), he has played in 70 of 81 games this season, missing some for illness and others with a sprained ankle after he was hurt in the final minute of a one-sided game. But that’s the point — Barrett doesn’t ask out.
This time he was driving to the rim with 3:10 left in the first half, going airborne and flipping the ball to Jericho Sims for a dunk. But as he passed off, he landed awkwardly, with two Wizards defenders jumping with him. He remained down for a moment and then immediately reached for his knee.
“I don’t know other than a sprained knee and then he’ll be evaluated by our doctors when we get back,” Thibodeau said. “I don’t like to see any of our players get injured, but it’s part of the game. The guy’s got soreness now. Obviously, he’s going to be out.”
Before the game, Thibodeau said, “We always talk about being a team of leaders. How does he set the tone for that. The challenge is not only to bring the best out of yourself but the best out of the team . . .
"Most young guys go through a period they have to learn. RJ has grown in all areas this year. He’s had a very good year. That’s what I love about him. Come in every day and keep concentrating on improving. But also, this is a good opportunity for you to help lead the team and you’re being challenged in a different way. You’re being put in situations where you can learn and grow. That’s the way I want him to approach it.”
The game provided opportunities for the young players, and Obi Toppin took advantage with a career-high 35 points (including 6-for-9 shooting from three-point range) as a huge contingent of Knicks fans chanted his name nearly all night long. Immanuel Quickley added 23 points and 10 assists.
Barrett still was working to the finish line, averaging almost the same minutes per game (34.8) that he did last season (34.9) entering Friday night. On Wednesday against the Nets, he played 45 minutes — a number he has topped just twice this season, including the double-overtime opening night win over Boston.
Just 21 years old, Barrett remains the Knicks' most intriguing work in progress. Thibodeau resists the urge to compare him to any of the players who have played for him in the past — including Jimmy Butler, who fit a similar mold.
“We talk about that all the time. I think we’re all guilty of it,” he said. “We all have a tendency to measure a young guy against somebody else who’s a star at their position and we tend to forget all the steps that they went through to get there. So I think there’s a lot of guys that were 14, 17, 20, 22, 24 [points per game as they improved], and it takes time from when you’re 21 years old. It says that you’re on the right path. And again, I think his attitude and approach are terrific, and I think he’ll continue to get better and better as time goes on.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.