LOS ANGELES — The last time a young Knicks prospect was seen in a walking boot to protect his left ankle, it cost him nine games. That was Mitchell Robinson, who may return from a sprain against the Trail Blazers on Monday after a three-week absence.
Late in the giddy Knicks’ locker room at Staples Center on Friday, Frank Ntilikina eerily wore a similar boot. In their skid-busting, 119-112 victory over the Lakers, Ntilikina came out late in the first quarter after 56 seconds, sustaining what the club called a “strained” tendon in his left ankle.