Obi Toppin of the Knicks shoots the ball against Justin Holiday of the Pacers during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Dec. 23, 2020, in Indianapolis. Credit: Getty Images/Michael Hickey
As they prepared for Wednesday night’s meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, a game that they admitted even with the close proximity of the franchises wasn’t yet a rivalry, the Knicks brought on reinforcements.
Playing shorthanded because of injuries, unlike the COVID and contact tracing shutdowns facing other teams, the Knicks brought a three-game losing streak into this game at Madison Square Garden. But they upgraded and activated a pair of big men to help — rookie Obi Toppin and veteran Taj Gibson.