Tom Thibodeau poured cold water on the Mitchell Robinson excitement before game two on Wednesday.
After Robinson tweeted a cryptic message with just a wide-eyed emoji, Thibodeau told reporters that Robinson is still "several steps" away from returning, and hasn't been cleared for team practice after suffering a foot fracture back in March.
"We're not taking any chances with him," Thibodeau said.
There was a silver lining for New York, as Thibodeau said Nerlens Noel felt good during shootaround and will play in game two as long as he makes it through warmups without any issues. The bonafide shot-blocker, who would be a big loss for a Knicks team that has to contain Clint Capela in the pick-and-roll with Trae Young, was later announced as good to go for game two and will make the start.
With Noel cleared, the starting five for the Knicks will be the same as game one, with Elfrid Payton remaining as the starting point guard despite another tough night in the series opener.
"We looked at the game, we looked at what's going on, it was a two-point game, and it comes down to a loose ball," Thibodeau said when asked about his decision to stick with Payton. "Just go out there and get the job done. Play defense, run the team...we're going to use everyone."
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