WASHINGTON — Obi Toppin, whose name was chanted most of the game in the nation’s capital, scored a career-high 35 points as the Knicks bounced back from a 10-0 holeshot to rout the Wizards, 114-92, at Capital One Arena Friday night.
The Knicks are 36-45 with one game left in their season, but the biggest news of the night may be a knee injury suffered by RJ Barrett.
The team initially diagnosed the injury as a sprained knee suffered late in the first half, but Barrett may need an MRI scan to ensure there is no further damage .
Meanwhile, Toppin shot 14 for 22 from the field and 6 for 9 from 3-point range. He received a standing ovation and more “O-bi” chants as he left the game with 57 seconds left.
Toppin finished with 18 points in the first half after finishing a four-point game with nine-tenths of a second remaining. He drained a 3-pointer from the left wing and was tripped for the foul. The former Dayton star has noticeably improved from a 3-point range in recent weeks – which had been a major weakness in his game.
His previous career high was 20 points – set twice last week. Toppin has started as a power forward since Julius Randle shut him down for the season last week.
Immanuel Quickley added 23 points in the rout. Toppin and Quickley are the Knicks’ two first-round picks in the 2020 draft.
New York Post