It took Allonzo Trier two-and-a-half weeks to✅ recover from his ܫfirst NBA injury. It took him 30 seconds to get a bucket once he was back on the floor.
Trier, who had been sidelined since Dec. 8 due to a strained left hamstring, returned to the lineup and scored eight points in the Knicks’ 109-95 Christmas matinee loss to the Bucks, starting witꦚh a fadeaway jumper on the second possession after he checked in during the first quarter. The rookie guard, nicknamed Iso Zo for his ability to g꧙enerate solo offense, finished with eight points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field (0-of-2 from 3-point range) in 17 minutes.
“I wasn’t back to my normal self, obviously, but it’s just good to be out there with my teammates,” Trier said. “Finally get to run up and down the court again, g🌄etting in some action, trying to find my way back, get my rhythm back.”
Trier, who was rewarded with a two-year, $6.8 million contract during h✱is absence for his early-season play, reported no discomfort in his hamstring, though he said he noticed rust in his “feel for the game, finding my spots, stuff like that.”
The Knicks are 6-7 when Trier scores in double figures and fell to 3-19 when he does not. Fra♉nk Ntilikina and Courtney Lee both sat out with Trier re-entering the rotation at guard.
The conventional wisdom in the NBA is that home teams struggle on Christmas — the Knicks were host🌠ing, per usual, at Madison Square Garden — as players get distracted by their festivities with family and friends. For road teams, on the other hand, it’s said to be just another trip.
The Knicks’ loss was the🎉ir 10th in🐬 the past 11 games.
“I think for this young team, I actually think having family around is great for them,” coach David Fizdale said before the game. “When you’re going through struggles and ups and downs, and having your family aro🦹und sometimes is pretty good.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. shot 4-of-18 from the𓆉 field — 4-of-14 in the first half, 0-of-4 in the second — a🦂nd finished with 14 points.
He also had a season-high 10 rebounds for his first🎀 double-doub🌟le since last November.
“I just think I took forced shots in the second half and wasn’t aggressive as much, and yeah, 🌌that’s about it,” Ha🥀rdaway said.
Luke Kornet shot 3-of-6, all from 3-point range. The 7-foot-1 second-♐year center now has 28 3-point field-goal attempts and seven 2-point👍 tries. He is shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc.