Enes Kanter could barely walk in the visitor’s locker room after Wednesday’s 118-101 Knicks loss to the 76ers, still racked with back pain after a hard fall. He hobbled down the hallway for X-rays that were negative, but he still plans to see a back specialist in New York. It was as tough to watch as these past five Knicks seasons.
More on Enes Kanter Injury
Brian Mahoney: Enes Kanter out today for Knicks because of back spasms.
Mike Vorkunov: Enes Kanter going for surgery tomorrow on his lip because it keeps opening up and bleeding, he says. Opened up again tonight. He says he'd play right away if they let him.
Enes Kanter showed up for the Knicks game with the Hawks on Sunday on crutches. So naturally, he started. “If you’re going to make the playoffs, you’re going to make some sacrifices,” said Kanter, who was feeling the effects of getting kneed in the hip Saturday in Chicago — an injury that left him on crutches for two days. “I was in pain but [the doctors] just literally said, â€Hey, if you want to play, we’re not going to say don’t play.’ “They just say, â€OK, it’s your decision.’ ”
Steve Popper: Some unsolicited teammates on Enes Kanter: Jarrett Jack: He’s the first guy by the way I’ve ever seen come to a game on crutches, still start the game and he’s about to leave on crutches. I’ve never seen that before in my 13 years in the league.
Barbara Barker: Kristaps Porzingis will play tonight against Portland. Enes Kanter is out.
Maybe it was the pain medication talking, but center Enes Kanter vowed to play Monday, when the Knicks return home from their disastrous 0-2 Southern trip to play Portland. Kanter missed both losses with back spasms and still hasn’t recovered, but he wants to suit up anyhow if team doctors allow it. The Knicks’ quirky, old-school center is the antithesis of the modern-day NBA player who prefers to err on the side of caution. “[Saturday] morning I was still having a hard time even walking,’’ Kanter said late Saturday night after the shorthanded Knicks blew a 22-point first-quarter lead in losing to the Rockets. “But I think I’m going to try to play the next game Monday. I might not be 100 percent, but I’m going to try to play Monday. If they don’t give me the green light, I can’t do anything about it. But I want to play Monday for sure.”
Ian Begley: Enes Kanter (back spasms) and Kristaps Porzingis (lower back tightness) are out tonight against Houston, the Knicks announce.
Ian Begley: The Knicks say Enes Kanter (back spasms) is questionable for tonight’s game against Houston. He missed last night’s loss in Atlanta due to the back ailment.
Enes Kanter took the blame for the Knicks’ 116-104 loss to the Hawks because he was “in the locker room crying like a baby.” Kanter woke up Friday with severe back spasms. He said he couldn’t walk but wanted to play through it. The Knicks held Kanter out, and his presence was missed. Kanter said that if he had played, he could have been out multiple weeks.
Al Iannazzone: Enes Kanter has back spasms and will not play tonight
Enes Kanter: I know man, I hate them chairs too 💺 Be careful tho 🙄
Kanter underwent surgery on Friday and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, but could miss up to two months, according to league sources. "I don't want to put no pressure on myself or the medical staff or anybody," Kanter said of his timetable. "I just want to get healthy and get back on the floor as soon as possible."
"Of course it's like a really sad thing because like, I mean because you're letting your teammates down when you make a mistake like that," Kanter said. "I mean your coaches down and stuff. But the only thing you can do is just, you know, you learn from it. The one thing you know I wish we could go back time and then I could take it back. But mistake happens and we just got to learn from it and control your emotions."
"They were just making a lot of jokes about it," Kanter said. "I remember someone on a website did an interview with the chair and asking it some questions. A lot of people just making fun of the chair and all this stuff. You know, people are going to talk and there's nothing you can do about it except get back on the court as soon as possible."
Royce Young: Enes Kanter had surgery on his fractured right arm this morning and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.
Oklahoma City center Enes Kanter sustained a fractured forearm after punching a chair on the Thunder’s bench on Thursday night, a self-inflicted injury that could sideline him six to eight weeks, league sources told The Vertical. Kanter, the Thunder’s second-highest-paid player at $17.1 million a season, fired his fist into the empty chair in frustration on his way to the bench during a first-half timeout in Oklahoma City’s 109-98 victory over Dallas.
"It's tough, man, especially to do it the way he did it, it's very unfortunate," Russell Westbrook said. "He's a strong man, and he'll be back better.
"Something like that, bro, he didn't mean to do it, obviously," Steven Adams said. "It was just one of those really frustrating times and just happened to do what he did. He's already really hard on himself, like no one else can be as hard on Enes as he is on himself. He's probably just feeling so under the weather, just feel bad for him. But still a good man, give him some time, and he'll be back."
Adrian Wojnarowski: After punching a chair on bench tonight, there's a fear OKC's Enes Kanter fractured his right hand, league sources tell @TheVertical.
