Steps in as backup center Sims recorded zero points (0-1 FG), 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 18 minutes in Sunday's 125-109 loss to the 76ers. Impact Prior to the All-Star break, the two-way rookie out of Texas had appeared in only two of the Knicks' last eight games, but he was a surprise inclusion in head coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation for both of the first two contests of the second half. On Sunday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that Nerlens Noel is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot that had left him available only in an emergency for the past two contests, so Sims could end up losing hold of his role as Mitchell Robinson's top backup once Noel is healthy. Though Sims brought some energy off the bench Sunday, neither he nor Robinson had any answer for Joel Embiid, who made 27 trips to the free-throw line while both Knicks centers fouled out despite playing fewer than 20 minutes apiece.
FEBRUARY 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
