The New York Knicks announced on Tuesday that forward Kurt Thomas is expected to be sidelined two-to-four weeks after an MRI revealed an acute stress reaction surrounding a chronic stress fracture in the navicular bone of his right foot.
The 40 year-old Thomas, the oldest player in the NBA, told reporters before last night's game that an MRI revealed a bone spur in his right foot. He suffered the injury in Portland and was listed as questionable for the game. However, with Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler both sidelined for the third straight game ,Thomas elected to play.
“Once the ball goes up you’re trying to block it out and you have the adrenaline going,” Thomas said.
Thomas delivered a performance that brought back memories of 1999 and played his best game of the season. His defensive presence and leadership help lead the Knicks to a 90-83 win over the Jazz last night. The veteran forward played a season high of 27 minutes, including the final 15 minutes to sallvage the final game of a brutal five game roadtrip. New York lost the previous four road games by an average of 20 points. He scored six points, had three blocks, and three rebounds to give the team a much needed victory.
"I was just trying to compete," he said. "I wasn’t thinking about how many minutes I had out there. I was just trying to have fun.”
Thomas did an excellent job solidifying New York's interior defense to shutdown Utah’s frontcourt of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Thomas had two blocked shots on Jefferson in fourth quarter, and showed Mike Woodson how valuable the veteran forward can be when the playoffs arrive.
“We gave him the game ball,’’ Woodson said. “He deserved it. He hadn’t played 26 minutes all year. A true pro. We’ve always said that. And tonight we don’t win without him.”
New York will now spend the next month without the services of Thomas. The team hopes that Thomas will be back when the playoffs begin next month. In the meantime, the team is down to Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Chris Copeland, James White, and Steve Novak as their only healthy forwards.
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