MIAMI — The Knicks’ bench and depth, considered their assets in the Eastern Conference semifinals, instead fell behind and were thrown another challenge by the injury to Immanuel Quickley.
Quickley, who has missed just one game this season, is listed as “questionable” for Monday night’s Game 4 after turned his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 3 on Saturday.
The Knicks, it should be noted, used the same “doubtful” status on Josh Hart in the previous series because of a sprained ankle, and he played the following game.
But if Quickley isn’t available Monday, Tom Thibodeau’s previous adjustments suggest he’ll either shorten the rotation to eight players or give minutes to defensive specialist Miles McBride.
With the Knicks offense in a funk, Thibodeau was asked Sunday if he would consider adding Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose to the rotation.
“Everything is on the table,” he replied.
This is the coach’s stock response and not an indication that he would actually consider such a change. It would be surprising if Rose or Fournier play the following Monday being out of rotation since the beginning of December. Fournier, who played late in the regular season after the playoffs were wrapped up, is the most likely option as a 3-point specialist (the Knicks are shooting just 27.3% on the trey for the series).
However, the coach has to figure out his reserves. They were outscored by the Heat’s bench, 84-52, with Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin all struggling.
Miami’s Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin were the best reserves of the series. Cody Zeller joined in their Game 3 success.
Grimes, who could take on a bigger role if Quickley is sidelined or limited, was notably unproductive while averaging just five points in the series.
He was also taken out of the starting lineup for Hart, who Thibodeau wants to guard Jimmy Butler. The coach also mentioned that Grimes suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the final two games of the Cleveland series.
“When you get to the playoffs, you watch the games,” Thibodeau said. “When a guy comes back from an injury, does he come back completely healthy? So you look at all aspects. In some ways [the bench] it could be better. It could affect another area. The bottom line is that we all have to play a lot better.”
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