WASHINGTON – The Knicks won at basketball but lost at ping pong and, most importantly, lost their best player.
RJ Barrett, the emerging face of the franchise, suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of Friday night’s 114-92 victory over the Wizards and will at least sit the season finale this weekend, according to coach Tom Thibodeau.
The initial diagnosis was a “sprained knee” but Barrett will be evaluated by doctors in New York to determine the severity.
“I worry about everything,” 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 right now, and obviously he’s going to be out.”
Barrett wasn’t made available after the game, but teammate Obi Toppin said he’s “feeling good.”
“It’s always tough to see a player go down,” Toppin said. “But RJ, he’s been doing great and for him get hurt on something little like that, it definitely sucks. But he’s going bounce back and be better.”
Barrett was injured while driving on two Wizards defenders, landing awkwardly as his right leg bent inward. He picked up an impressive assist on the play to center Jericho Sims, but quickly walked off the court while clutching his knee. Barrett never returned to the bench as the Knicks ran away with the victory behind Toppin’s career-high 35 points, moving them one game ahead of the Wizards for 11th in the East.
The victory could decrease their lottery odds, but the more important question is Barrett’s health. He finished with 14 points in 15 minutes and will likely join teammates Julius Randle and Derrick Rose on the inactive list for the season’s final game Sunday against the Raptors.
It’s a disheartening end to an otherwise encouraging third season for the 21-year-old. He averaged over 20 points per game and began to embrace his status as team leader since Randle’s downward spiral.
Barrett is also eligible for a contract extension after the season, with the Knicks weighing whether to offer a max deal worth five years, $181 million.
“I’ve said it since day one that I wanted to come here. I didn’t work out for any other team (in the draft),” Barrett said. “This is where I want to be. I love playing for the Knicks. I love playing in the Garden. I love how we got to the playoffs last year and looking to do that again. I love everything about being a Knick. Yeah, 100 percent the place I want to be.”
It was an impressive night from Toppin, who is thriving in his opportunities while Randle rests and heard his name chanted on the road, but the result was only consequential toward ping pong balls (the Wizards, not the Knicks, are now in position to get in the top-10 of the lottery). Both teams are eliminated from the playoffs, and the Wizards took advantage of the circumstances by sitting three starters – Kristaps Porzingis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma – trotting out a lineup unappreciative of the paying fans for their Fan Appreciation Night at Capital One Arena.
The Knicks countered by sitting their usual suspects — Randle, Derrick Rose and Mitchell Robinson – but Barrett was determined to finish his season on the court.
Now he won’t.
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