The New York Knicks dodged a bullet after the MRI results of Obi Toppin’s knee yielded only a minor injury.
Toppin sustained a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula head and will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks, the team announced Thursday.
Toppin did not return in the second half of Wednesday’s win against Atlanta in what the Knicks initially labeled as a sore right knee. The 24-year-old forward left the game at the 6:06 mark of the second quarter with three points on 1 of 3 shooting from the floor.
San Antonio Spurs’ Zach Collins suffered the same injury earlier in the season and returned after three weeks.
With Toppin out for an extended period of time, New York coach Tom Thibodeau said one option is to use RJ Barrett as part-time power forward.
Thibodeau experimented with that lineup featuring Barrett and three guards (Miles McBride, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes) with positive results, outscoring the Hawks 6-2, and limited them to 1 of 6 shooting during the start of the fourth quarter.
It remains to be seen if Thibodeau would reinsert Cam Reddish, reportedly being shopped by the Knicks ahead of the trade deadline, into the rotation.
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