The Knicks, the losers of two straight from the west, will conclude their four-game trip in Utah on Tuesday-evening.
If the Knicks look gassed at their games in Sacramento and Portland, it’s no mirage. So says security guard Austin Rivers, who has become the most outspoken player on a team since he signed as a free agent in November.
The Utah game marks the end of Knicks’ pandemic schedule, in which they played 12 of their first 19 on the road. Not only are they fighting their opponents, but the hefty amount of COVID-19 road trip protocols contained in an 82-page NBA document.
“Oh, we are absolutely tired,” Rivers said after Tuesday morning’s shootaround. “According to our schedule, I would challenge everyone to set their schedule against ours. I don’t know how a schedule can be more difficult than what we played. Physically and mentally. At the same time it is what it is. Here we are. “
The Knicks have a record of 8-10 in their first 18 games – a lot better than preseason expectations. But head coach Tom Thibodeau keeps a short rotation and with injuries, protagonists have played monster minutes.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett didn’t miss a game and recently played 1-2 minutes in the NBA.
Currently, Randle is in second place in the average minutes (36.7), while Barrett virtually sinks for sixth in a draw (36.2) after benched in Portland on Sunday in the fourth quarter.
Looking like he had nothing left in the tank against the Blazers, Barrett finished with eight points, after a six-game spree when he averaged 21 points.
“We’re tired, but we’re ready to go,” Rivers said. “You know what I’m talking about? I just have to go out and compete and figure out how to win games every night. I think the important thing is that if you have a long season, the best way to approach these games is to try and give everything a positive spin. We lost two in a row, but at the same time we won our first race on this road trip. “
Indeed, the Knicks began the journey with an exciting 119-104 defeat to Golden State that bottled Stephen Curry in San Francisco in the second half. But they faltered in Sacramento and Portland.
In the latter case, the Knicks faced a very well-equipped team that had a week off due to the cancelations of COVID-19. The Knicks were behind 70-50 at halftime before making a late attack on rookie Immanuel Quickley, who lost 3.
After Utah, there are 11 of the Knicks’ next 16 games at Garden without fans, starting with Cleveland on Friday
“We can come out of this road trip 2-2, 0.500, that’s solid,” Rivers said before the game in Utah. “We can get out of this trip 2-2 and go back home, so that’s how we have to get there. Now look at it. It would be a great feeling for us to come in here – this is the hottest team in the NBA we play. Utah plays better basketball than anyone in the NBA. So for us to be a team If to beat this, this would be huge for us, so we have to look at it like that.
The Jazz have won eight in a row. Their last loss? Against the Knicks on January 5.
Thursday also marks the anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s death. Rivers met Bryant, and the Lakers were kind of a mentor. Rivers said that after games, Bryant would always look for him to give a review.
“I’m not saying he didn’t look human, but it’s the same thing someone like LeBron (James) has,” Rivers said. “Those guys move differently. They’re not basketball players. They’re basketball. When you see someone like that go. , life feels so fragile and you feel so human. “