Sports

Sick Ntilikina yanks himself out of his worst Knicks game

Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina’s fourth-quarter benching was more the Frenchman’s call than the coach’s.

Feeling flu-like symptoms, Ntilikina had his worst game as a Knick, committing four turnovers with zero points and one assist in 11 minutes and sitting for the fourth quarter.

Jeff Hornacek said Ntilikina told him he wasn’t helping the team, prompting the Knicks coach to bench him and allow veteran Ramon Sessions to play the fourth period.

“Frank’s under the weather,’’ Hornacek said after the Knicks’ 107-85 victory Monday. “He’s been fighting it two, three days now. he just didn’t have it tonight. He was fine with it. He actually said, ‘I’m not helping the team now.’ Frank’s a smart player. He realized he didn’t have enough energy. He sacrificed. He could’ve gone back in there and still played but it gave Ramon a chance.”





Ntilikina, who didn’t deny that version of events, said he got sick in Toronto and is on medication.

“I tried all I had, but I felt sick,’’ he said. “I felt bad and couldn’t help the team. I was losing the ball and not playing the right way. But I have to get through it and learn to play when I’m sick. Next time I will do better.”

Ron Baker, who hasn’t dressed since the third game, still isn’t 100 percent recovered from a shoulder injury, Hornacek said. On Sunday, rookie Damyean Dotson played for Westchester in the G League game versus Lakeland, scoring 23 points, but Baker was held out. Baker also had a major ankle sprain that was given as an excuse prior to him not dressing for games after his surprisingly strong rookie year as an undrafted free agent.

“Ron’s almost there with the shoulder,’’ Hornacek said. “He practiced [Sunday]. I asked him how it was with contact, he said he tried to avoid real hard picks. He’s getting close to full contact.’’





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