BOSTON — Knicks star RJ Barrett missed his third game of the season on Monday against the Celtics, this time due to a migraine.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said Barrett was sick and a game-time decision ahead of tipoff.
Monday’s matchup against the Celtics was the second leg of a back-to-back after Sunday’s victory over the Charlotte Hornets and part of the third set of back-to-backs in the Knicks’ opening 10 games.
Barrett played in both legs of the first back-to-back (in Atlanta, then New Orleans), then missed the second leg of the second road-home back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sore left knee. He missed a second consecutive game because of the knee, then returned to the lineup.
Thibodeau said Barrett’s absence had nothing to do with knee soreness.
“No, he’s a little under the weather,” he said.
The Knicks went 0-2 in the first two games Barrett missed with a sore knee.
They lost by six to the Cavaliers then five to the Milwaukee Bucks. Entering Monday night’s matchup against the Celtics, the Knicks (5-4) boasted a 5-2 record in games Barrett took the court.
“Just next guy get in there and get the job done. It doesn’t change. Everyone’s capable of playing defense,” Thibodeau said. “Everyone’s capable of rebounding the ball. Everyone’s capable of keeping their turnovers down. If you do those 3 things, you’re gonna be in position to win. And then it’s play inside out, attack the rim and share the ball. So everyone shares in that responsibility.”
Barrett has emerged as the Knicks’ second leading scorer while Julius Randle returns to form after offseason ankle surgery. The fifth-year wing is averaging career-highs in scoring (22.6 points), field goal percentage (48.7), three-point percentage (50), free throw percentage (84.8) and assists per game (3.1).
“I just think I have a little better rhythm and, of course, I think I’m growing as a player,” he said after hanging 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field in Sunday’s blowout win over the Hornets. “It’s a system that I’ve been able to be in for a little bit. It’s kind of easy because I understand and know the reads, and so do my teammates, and we’re kinda all just working together right now.”
Barrett was excited for the matchup against the Celtics before he woke up with a migraine.
“[It’s a] very important game. Very good team, of course,” he said. “We lost to them here [in the] first game of the season, so just try to go up there and get a win.”
A VERY WORTHY OPPONENT
Thibodeau says the numbers tell you just how good the Celtics are.
Boston ranks top-five in both offense and defense and added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to a core that perennially competes for a championship.
The Knicks, of course, are in the same Atlantic Division as the Celtics, and have to see them four times each season. All roads to a deep NBA playoff run likely run through Boston.
“They have a number of guys who can go off the dribble. They spread you out with their shooting, unique with Porzingis away from the basket, so it requires you to do more than one thing,” Thibodeau said ahead of tipoff. “You’ve gotta fly around. You’ve gotta communicate. Holiday was a great pickup for them as well, but obviously, when you have Tatum and Brown, that’s elite, and you can’t overlook Derrick White and what he brings to the team. So Hauser’s playing real well for them right now. Pritchard’s a fierce competitor. It’s a deep team as well.”
Porzingis scored 30 on the Knicks in the season opener and hit the dagger three in the game’s final minute.
“We have to have an awareness to him. We competed pretty well in that game. We fell short in the end,” Thibodeau said. “But we got to make sure that we’re there. But we got to make sure that we’re there. We got to challenge shots. This team is probably going to take 40 or 50 threes. We can’t give their shots up, I know that. So we got to fly around them.”
