The Knicks were without Derrick Rose, not a pulse.
The pandemic season finally crushed the Knicks on Tuesday and showed how a player can go from invisible to prominent in a blink of an eye.
Just a week ago, Frank Ntilikina hadn’t played since late December – he was shot down by a knee sprain, COVID-19 protocols and being sidelined from rotation.
On Tuesday in San Antonio, the Frenchman became the Knicks ’starting point and perhaps a foreseeable future.
Although Ntilikina held on to their final bargain with 13 points, 5 of 7 from the field and 3 of 3 from 3 points away, the teamless Knicks were unable to compete in the second half and their streak of victories of three games broke an ugly 119-93 loss at AT&T Center.
“Get what you deserve,” Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s disappointing how we played.”
The Knicks looked tired on the defensive end and allowed the Spurs to punch 7 of 14 triples in the third quarter to crush them 36-21 in the period. That dropped them 19 points after three quarters, 81-62, and they stayed behind the 27 in the fourth quarter. The Spurs finished with 17 triples.
The Knicks, who fell back to .500 (18-18) at the midpoint of the season, learned before the game that their new starting guard, Rose, would be leaving indefinitely for COVID-19 safety protocols and Health.
The Knicks would not say if Rose had tested positive for COVID-19 or had encountered a person with the virus.
That probably means Rose is out until the All Star break. The Knicks finish the first half Thursday against Detroit.
With Austin Rivers at Tom Thibodeau’s dog house, Ntilikina was anointed as the head of rookie Immanuel Quickley.
“It’s situational,” Thibodeau said of Rivers. “He has to keep working.”
When pressed, Thibodeau said Rivers also has “an ankle problem” (Rivers has not been on the injury report).
Quickley got very hot in the trash and finished with a maximum of 23 points, getting 6 of 12 triples.
Rose was due to start his fourth straight game on Tuesday because his original starter, Elfrid Payton, is still offside with hamstring strain. It looks like Payton won’t be back until after a week’s hiatus. Last season he lost 18 games with a hamstring strain.
Even with Rose and Payton gone, Rivers did not return to the rotation and did not play. The Post reported that Rivers was not on the bench for Saturday’s game after hinting that he could be changed soon, and the Knicks said he was in the locker room receiving ankle treatment. They could have used their experienced veteran on Tuesday.
Rose’s situation is also uncertain. Typically, protocols mean that a player is out of the team for a week, maybe longer if he tests positive.
The Knicks’ lax play began late in the first half after giving them a six-point lead. San Antonio’s Patty Mills swung in a good chance from the left, but the visitors’ defense were able to clear the ball. This gave San Antonio a 51-47 lead at the break and all the momentum.
Julius Randle scored 14 points, with 11 rebounds and five assists and managed to rest in the fourth. RJ Barrett had another solid scoring game with 15 points, getting a seat in the final period as well.
It was more about the Knicks ’defensive shortcomings after coming into the night as the NBA’s second-best defense.
Gregg Popovich’s Spurs, after losing the playoffs for the first time since 1997, have returned as a force, going 18-13 despite missing star LaMarcus Aldridge, with a stomach virus.
The Knicks had stayed out of COVID-19’s main issues most of the season. The Spurs have not. In fact, San Antonio postponed its scheduled game against the Knicks last month due to COVID-19 problems.
But now things are catching up with the Knicks as they seem to survive without their two main guards.