WASHINGTON — The Knicks won at basketball but lost at ping pong and, more importantly, lost their best player.
RJ Barrett, the emerging face of the franchise, suffered a “sprained knee” in the second quarter of Friday night’s 114-92 victory over the Wizards, according to the team.
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 Obi 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. Since MRIs aren’t typically administered on the scene of games, Barrett could still undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
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.”
Adding frustration to the injury, the game meant nothing except for ping pong balls (with the Wizards, not the Knicks, 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, Rose and Mitchell Robinson – but Barrett was determined to finish his season on the court.
Now he won’t.
