With the clock ticking down Saturday night and the Knicks fading and facing a one-point deficit to the Indiana Pacers, who had entered the night with the best record in the Eastern Conference, coach Tom Thibodeau called for Austin Rivers to enter the game.
It might not have seemed odd for Thibodeau to reach to his bench for an answer as the game appeared to be slipping away. But that he reached for Rivers did seem odd.
Rivers still hadn’t practiced at all with his teammates. He was injured before training camp even began and as he worked his way back from a strained groin he was working on his own, spending time with trainers and finally getting action playing with assistant coaches and staff members before finally making his Knicks debut just two days before Saturday’s game.