The New York Knicks ruled out Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday night’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Additionally, All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as questionable with a right quad strain.
Hart, who suffers from lower back spasms, has been out since playing seven minutes in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi nearly three weeks ago. Robinson, who is out with a left ankle injury, has been out since playing the first half of New York’s preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 9.
“Still the same,” Knicks coach Mike Brown told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “Neither of them practiced today, but we’re going to continue to monitor them, and I’ll contact the medical staff and we’ll see what we do.”
Brown repeatedly said Robinson was not injured; the Knicks said he has been out for “workload management” since the middle of last week.
“Really, it’s a matter of load management,” Brown said Tuesday. “Which means, obviously, if we deem it necessary, could he go? Yeah, he could possibly go.
“He missed a lot of games last year, so we want to be careful going forward with him. That’s pretty much all that’s going on here.”
The Cavaliers, who along with the Knicks are expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title this season, will be without Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot). De’Andre Hunter was questionable due to a right knee contusion.
