UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Knicks won their first matchup against their New York City rivals, but they suffered yet another injury to a frontcourt player.
Center Tyson Chandler banged knees with Nets forward Gerald Wallace 44 seconds into the action and left the game in the first quarter of the Knicks’ 97-95 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Nassau Coliseum.
Asked his level of concern after the game, Chandler said, “Not much. I just feel like I have a sprain.”
The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Chandler walked out of the locker room on crutches and will undergo an MRI Thursday.
The Knicks don’t play again until the season-opener Nov. 1 in Brooklyn.
“I feel alright,” he said. “I am just hoping that it is not much so I can continue to work with the guys leading up to the first game of the season.”
Of the play, Chandler said, “I stretched my knee out a little and it was awkward. My foot was planted when he fell into me and it took my knee outside a little. I did not feel it until I landed.”
The Knicks are already without frontcourt players Amar’e Stoudemire, who is out 2-3 weeks with his own knee injury, Marcus Camby (calf) and Rasheed Wallace (conditioning).
“I feel uneasy with all of our guys being out,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “Again, I’m not one that’s going to sit and panic. Thank God the exhibition season is over with. It’s not like we have to play tomorrow.”
Woodson himself appeared with a cut over his right eye, but didn’t disclose how the injury happened.
“The other guy’s beat up pretty bad,” Woodson joked. “Do I look all right? I’m fine.”
Knicks rookie Chris Copeland, who led the Knicks with 16 points and appears in good shape to make the final roster, laughed when asked if he was the one who elbowed Woodson.
“I can’t speak on exactly what happened but we work hard in practice,” he said.
The pro-Knicks crowd on Long Island chanted for Wallace late in the game, apparently unaware that he is expected to scrimmage Friday for the first time.
“We gotta still take it a day at a time,” Woodson said of the 6-11 Wallace, who practiced for the first time Tuesday. “I’m not thinking about Nov. 1.
“I’ve gotta get him through this next week and a half just to see where he is and if everything pans out there’s a possibility he could be out there on Nov. 1.”
FREE THROWS
Knicks shooting guard James White left the game in the second quarter with a sore knee...Steve Novak and Mychel Thompson hit back-to-back-pointers in overtime as the Knicks outscored the Nets, 11-9, in the extra period…Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton each scored 15 points for the Knicks before leaving…The Knicks dished out 26 assists to the Nets’ 9. Pablo Prigioni led the way with 11 dimes, Felton had 5 and Copeland and Jason Kidd 3 apiece…Brooklyn’s Deron Williams led all scorers with 22 points. MarShon Brooks scored 11 for the Nets, but missed a potential game-tying layup off the window as time expired…Both teams finished the preseason at 3-3.
**For more on Deron WIlliams and the Nets, read Josh Newman here.
Photo: Daily News
