Kemba Walker understands late-game benchings: ‘I got to live with it.’
Kemba Walker is a four-time All-Star with his last appearance less than two years ago. But while splitting time at point guard with Derrick Rose, the 31-year-old found himself on the bench down the stretch of the Knicks’ two close games this season.
Walker, who broke through in Tuesday’s blowout victory over the Sixers with 19 points for his best Knicks game, said he understands the situation.
“I’m a team player. If coach makes that decision, I got to live with it,” Walker said. “What can I say? As long as he’s firm in his decision, I could care less. He’s trying to win. Like I said, D. Rose is playing well. That was a choice he made, and I live with it.”
Walker entered Tuesday averaging just 10.3 points in 25.7 minutes. The Knicks were also outscored by 17 points in his 77 total minutes, the worst +/- on the team. Meanwhile, Rose had the best +/- on the roster before the Sixers game at +49.
“There’s going be games where Derrick is playing super well, and he’s going stay in the game. It just is what it is,” Walker said. “We have so much where you can leave guys on the court and there’s going to be games where I’m not going get back on the court just because guys are playing super well. And I have no problem with that, especially with D. Rose, the youngest MVP ever. He’s playing super well, and I want him to continue to play well.”
NOEL OUT AGAIN
Before Nerlens Noel missed his fourth straight game Monday, Thibodeau again teased his center’s impending return while providing a little more clarity into the nature of a confusing injury.
“He’s real close to coming back,” Thibodeau said.
Noel was similarly close in preseason but experienced “some soreness” in his knee, according to Thibodeau, and still hasn’t taken the court since signing his three-year, $27 million deal. There was also a hamstring injury involved.
“The hamstring is fine,” Thibodeau said. “And that (knee) soreness is much improved.”
In Noel’s absence, the Knicks have leaned on Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson. Thibodeau has also experimented with rookie Jericho Sims at center and tried a small-ball lineup with a Julius Randle-Obi Toppin frontcourt.
MSG ATTENDANCE DOWN
Not too long ago, the Knicks had a sellout streak of 269 games at MSG. But with the world still dealing with a pandemic, their last two games have been well short of the 19,812 capacity.
The announced attendance Tuesday was just 15,218, which was lower than the 16,273 announced Sunday for a game against the Magic.
