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The Knicks will face an undermanned opponent when they continue their four-game road trip Sunday night in Portland.
The Trail Blazers still have All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and former Knick forward Carmelo Anthony, but they will be without guard CJ McCollum (broken foot) and big man Jusuf Nurkic (broken wrist) for the next several weeks.
McCollum was averaging a career-high 26.7 points per game this season, and Nurkic has averaged 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game over five seasons in Portland.
“I mean, CJ is out, so that’s a blessing for us,” Julius Randle said after Friday’s loss in Sacramento ended the Knicks’ three-game winning streak. “But Dame is dangerous. Obviously we know what Melo can do, but Dame is the head of the snake over there. He’s dangerous. So we’ll get prepared for it [Saturday].”
The Blazers (8-6) haven’t played since Monday after their previous two games were postponed due to the Memphis Grizzlies’ issues found during COVID-19 contact tracing protocols. Former Knicks center Enes Kanter has started the last two games in place of Nurkic, while Rodney Hood filled in for McCollum on Monday against San Antonio.
Shortly after admitting that the Knicks bypassing him in the 2020 draft “personally fueled me,” Sacramento guard Tyrese Haliburton posted on Twitter three laughing emojis atop the popular meme of Kermit the Frog sipping tea, which is taken to signify “that’s none of my business.”
Haliburton, drafted four picks after the Knicks selected Obi Toppin No. 8 overall, had 16 points, four blocked shots and two steals in Friday’s loss to the Kings.
“My job is to make them think about that when they go to sleep,” Haliburton said after Friday’s game. “So I’m just going to go out there and be the best player I can be. I’m not that big into that [motivation].”
Frank Ntilikina, who hasn’t played since Dec. 29 because of a sprained right knee, and Austin Rivers (sore Achilles) have been upgraded from doubtful to questionable for Sunday’s game. Reggie Bullock is doubtful with a sore neck.
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