36 • March 3, 2022 - March 9, 2022
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Sports The Nets and their fans eagerly await Kyrie’s return to Barclays By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews T h e re’s a p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t Ke v i n D u ra n t , w h o h a s b e e n o u t s i n c e s p ra i n ing the MCL in his left k n e e o n Ja n . 1 5 , c o u l d re t u r n t o t h e c o u r t t o n i g h t a g a i n s t t h e Mi a m i He at at t h e Ba rc l ay s C e nt e r i n B ro o k l y n . I f n o t , S u n d a y ’s ro a d matchup against the Boston C e l t i c s c o u l d b e t h e d ay . A f t e r l a s t S a t u rd ay ’s s u rp r i s i n g 1 2 6 - 1 2 3 w i n ov e r t h e B u c k s i n Mi l w a u k e e, l e d by Ky r i e I r v i n g ’s s e a s o n - h i g h 3 8 p o i n t s, Ne t s h e a d c o a c h St e v e Na s h w a s c o n f i d e n t D u ra n t w o u l d b e back in the lineup in the c o m i n g d ay s. “ I e x p e c t i n t h e n e xt w e e k h e’ l l b e b a c k f o r s u re,” h e re s p o n d e d w h e n a s k e d w h a t t h e t e a m’s e x p e c t a t i o n s w e re. C o n s c i o u s, a n d e x t re m e l y s e n s i t i v e t o D u ra n t ’s
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday he cannot make an exception for unvaccinated Nets guard Kyrie Irving to play games in New York, bypassing vaccine mandates (Bill Moore photo)
long-term physical well b e i n g , Na s h s h a re d t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n ’s p r i o r i t y . “ T h e No. 1 t h i n g i s t o get him back healthy, f e e l i n g s e c u re i n h i s health and his body so h e c a n m ov e a n d b e f re e w h e n h e’s b a c k .” Na s h h a s a n u m b e r o f i t e m s t o m a n a g e. T h e ov e ra l l health of h i s ro s t e r, B e n S i m m o n s’ Ne t s d e b u t , Jo e Ha r r i s’ re t u r n f ro m i n j u r y a n d Ky r i e I rv i n g ’s av a i l a b i l i t y l i n e h i s l i s t . Na s h h a d t o add himself as he sat out Mo n d ay n i g h t ’s g a m e v e r s u s t h e To ro n t o R a p t o r s i n B ro o klyn, a 133-97 blowout l o s s, a f t e r b e i n g p l a c e d i n C OV I D - 1 9 h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y p ro t o c o l s s h o r t l y b e f o re t h e g a m e s t a r te d . A s s i s t a n t Ja c q u e Va u g h n headed the t e a m. Na s h w a s a l s o o u t f o r
Tu e s d ay ’s g a m e, a re m a t c h w i t h t h e R a p t o r s i n To ro n t o. Na s h’s unexpected sidelining on Mo n d a y c a m e o n t h e d ay Ne w Yo r k C i t y May o r E r i c A d a m s d i s c u s s e d t h e c i t y ’s C OV I D - 1 9 v a cc i n e m a n d a t e s, w h i c h c o n t i n u e t o d i s a l l o w t h e u nv a c c i n a t e d I r v i n g f ro m p l ay i n g a t B a rc l ay s C e n t e r a n d Ma d i s o n S q u a re G a rd e n . “ I w a n t Ky r i e o n t h e c o u r t . I would do anything to get that ring. So badly I want it, b u t t h e re’s s o m u c h a t s t a k e h e re,” s a i d A d a m s d u r i n g a midday inter view with CNBC. “I spoke with the owner of the t e a m. We w a n t t o f i n d a w ay t o g e t Ky r i e o n t h e c o u r t , b u t t h i s i s a b i g g e r i s s u e,” e m p h a s i z e d A d a m s. “ I c a n ’ t h av e my c i t y c l o s e d d o w n a g a i n . It w o u l d s e n d t h e w ro n g m e s s a g e j u s t t o h av e a n e x c e p t i o n f o r o n e p l ay e r w h e n w e’ re t e l l i n g c o u n t l e s s n u m b e r o f Ne w Yo r k C i t y e m p l oy e e s, ‘ i f y o u d o n ’ t f o l l o w t h e r u l e s, you won’t be able to be emp l oy e d .’”
The Knicks continue to fade facing a long road trip By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
.500. After falling under the even mark at 11-12 on Dec. 4, the Knicks haven’t been It was only three weeks into this at/or above .500 since Jan. 7 season, but Knicks head coach Tom when they were 22-22. Thibodeau was acutely aware that it They were the 12th seed could go suddenly and dramatically at tip-off against the 76ers, downhill, and wasn’t receptive to excus- two positions below the last es for his team’s poor showing in a 112- play-in spot, a disappoint100 Nov. 10 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks ing and telling standing at Madison Square Garden to put their that Thibodeau forewarned record at 7-5. just 12 games in. While the “You know what they say. When it’s 10 Knicks are still mathematgames, you say we need 20,” Thibodeau ically in the chase for the snarled when questioned by the press play-in tournament, they if his team had played enough games to have shown no signs over reasonably develop positive chemistry. the past month of possess“When it’s 20, you say 30. When it’s 30, ing the necessities to string you say it’s 40. Before you know it, the together wins consistently season’s over. It’s a bunch of bull—t,” he to overcome the deficit they maintained. One could argue that going now face. into last night’s game versus the PhilaThe 10th seeded Chardelphia 76ers on the road, nearly four lotte Hornets, who have also months later, with 21 games remaining, struggled as of late, losing 11 the Knicks’ season is effectively over rel- of their previous 13 contests ative to their playoff aspirations enter- before playing the Cleveing the campaign. land Cavaliers last night on They were 25-36, 2-12 in their previthe road, were 30-33 and AM NEWS ous 14 games, and beginning a 12-day, four games in front of the 01/06/22 seven-game stretch away from home in Knicks with0 a less prohibi74470 22784 which only one of the opponents—the tive remaining slate of games Sacramento Kings—is currently under based on their opponents’
winning percentage. There are several reasons the Knicks find themselves in the midst of adversity. Some are the same issues that have befallen most of the NBA’s 30 teams. Key players lost for numerous games due to injuries and/or COVID-19 protocols among them. Guard Derrick Rose has been sidelined for 35 of the Knicks’ 61 games and center Nerlens Noel 36. However, the Knicks’ regression from a 41-31 record last season is a confluence of the latter, the significant improvement of teams such as the Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors against whom they steadily accumulated wins, and a failure of the front office to effectively upgrade the talent. The Knicks’ primary decision-makers must urgently persist in conducting an even deeper assessment of what has gone wrong and summarily reverse course.
Heading into last night’s game versus the AM NEWS 01024 Philadelphia 76ers on the road, Knicks center AM NEWS Nerlens Noel had missed 36 of the team’s 61 03/03/22 01/06/22 7 games this season due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols (Bill Moore photo)
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