{"id":189503,"date":"2021-02-26T09:24:28","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T06:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/frank-ntilikina-looks-fantastic-in-surprise-return-to-knicks-lineup\/"},"modified":"2021-02-26T09:24:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T06:24:28","slug":"frank-ntilikina-looks-fantastic-in-surprise-return-to-knicks-lineup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/frank-ntilikina-looks-fantastic-in-surprise-return-to-knicks-lineup\/","title":{"rendered":"#Frank Ntilikina looks ‘fantastic’ in surprise return to Knicks lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Frank Ntilikina looks ‘fantastic’ in surprise return to Knicks lineup<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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It was good to see you again, Frank Ntilikina.<\/p>\n

Tom Thibodeau had an opening in his 10-man rotation with starting point guard Elfrid Payton missing his first game<\/a> of the season with a hamstring injury Thursday against the Kings.<\/p>\n

Instead of moving back to Austin Rivers, Thibodeau threw a surprise and tapp<\/a>ed the maligned French point guard whose only luck this season has been bad luck.<\/p>\n

In his first appearance since Dec. 29, Ntilikina didn\u2019t look rusty at all. He had three steals, scored seven points and was a plus-17 in 23:35 minutes of action as the Knicks crushed the Kings 140-121 at the giddy Garden.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis defense was fantastic,\u201d Tom Thibodeau said.<\/p>\n

Ntilikina sounded afterward like he had been unleashed from being trapped in a hotel room for a week. Actually he was \u2014 in Miami \u2014 following COVID-19 contact tracing protocols. That followed a sprained knee that cost him three weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a long stretch,\u2019\u2019 said the longest-tenured Knick and their 2017 lottery pick. \u201cThere was so much happiness and motivation to do more.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Wearing a red \u201cVale\u2019\u2019 hat, his relief was palpable. Ntilikina will be a restricted free agent and his future is unclear.<\/p>\n

\"Knicks\"
Frank Ntilikina<\/figcaption>
NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen you come back from a long stretch, with [Thibodeau] I\u2019ll get more comfortable on the court,\u2019\u2019 Ntilikina said. \u201cI was so happy to be on the court, to be able to compete with my teammates. I was really happy, so I had a lot of energy. I definitely felt good.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

In his highlight play, Ntilikina strip<\/a>ped De\u2019Aaron Fox, led a fast break and whipped a pass to Immanuel Quickley for a 3-pointer. Depending on Payton\u2019s status, the Ntilikina-Quickley tandem could now be a thing.<\/p>\n

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