Tom Thibodeau calls Washington, D.C. violence shocking and disappointing
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau gestures during the second half of the team's NBA preseason game against the Pistons on Dec. 11, 2020, in Detroit. Credit: AP/Carlos Osorio
Tom Thibodeau was on the court Wednesday morning with his team preparing for the game later that night and then immersed in his usual preparation, unaware of what was transpiring in Washington, DC until he arrived at Madison Square Garden. He did not have a chance to speak to his team before the game but was shocked by what he saw.
"It’s shocking, disappointing and I haven’t had an opportunity to speak to the team yet because it happened late after we had broken from the shootaround this morning," Thibodeau said. "As Americans you want everyone to be safe. We can debate things and do all that, but I think once there’s violence involved it’s not good for anybody.
"To be honest, I was unaware until I got here. Like I said, it’s disappointing, we’ll deal with it tomorrow. But again, a peaceful protest is fine but as I mentioned earlier I think violence is crossing the line. We’re all Americans. We want everyone to be able to debate things but also it’s important for everyone to be safe."
The Knicks were not a part of the bubble restart in Orlando when games were canceled as protests raged. Thibodeau said he knew of no talks about calling off the game Wednesday.
Burks, Noel still sidelined
Alec Burks was examined back in New York and his sprained left ankle was determined to be worse than originally expected and he will be out for at least the next week.
"There’s still some tenderness there from the sprain so we just felt another week to 10 days to see where he is," Thibodeau said. "But it’s early in the season and we don’t want it to be something that lingers."
Nerlens Noel was held out for a second straight game with a sore left knee and a sprained left ankle.
Toppin OK for non-contact drills
Obi Toppin, who has not played since the opening game of the season, was re-examined by team doctors Tuesday and got a good report, allowing him to begin working on the court with no contact. He still needs to progress through two-on-two up to five-on-five.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
