Nerlens Noel picked up the slack on defense while the 35-year old Taj Gibson turned back the clock and was spinning like he was 18.
Tom Thibodeau couldn’t ask for more as the New York Knicks’ collective effort enabled them to ace their first test without their starting center Mitchell Robinson.
On the day they learned that Robinson, who fractured his right hand, would be out for at least a month, the New York Knicks flaunted their depth in a huge 121-99 win against the Houston Rockets.
Their backup centers turned in inspired performances that more than filled up Robinson’s absence.