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Obi Toppin out several weeks in Knicks injury blow

The rotation-crunched Knicks will be without Obi Toppin for at least the next few weeks.

The reserve power forward suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula during the second quarter of Wednesday’s win over the Hawks at the Garden. The 24-year-old Toppin will be reevaluated in 2-to-3 weeks, the team said Thursday.

Toppin, the NBA’s reigning Slam Dunk champion, is averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game in his third NBA season after the Knicks drafted him with the eighth overall pick out of Dayton in the 2020 draft. He also is shooting a career-best 35.1 percent from 3-point range, up from 30.7 percent efficiency over his first two seasons.

Knicks forward Obi Toppin (1) during a game against the Hawks on Dec. 7, 2022.
Knicks forward Obi Toppin (1) during a game against the Hawks on Dec. 7, 2022.
NBAE via Getty Images

The Brooklyn native came up limping after what looked like a knee-to-knee collision with Atlanta’s Aaron Holiday in Wednesday’s second quarter. Toppin briefly remained in the game but the Knicks announced at halftime that he would not return.

Toppin’s absence could reopen a spot in the Knicks’ nine-man rotation for benched swingman Cam Reddish, although coach Tom Thibodeau said after Wednesday’s game that starting wing RJ Barrett could see minutes at power forward when starter Julius Randle is not on the floor.

“We’ll figure it out,” Thibodeau said. “I like the idea of RJ being there some. I think he showed us last year how effective he can be at the four, so I think that can be a possibility.”

Veteran guards Derrick Rose (two games) and Evan Fournier (12) also have been dropped from the rotation by Thibodeau, with Quentin Grimes moving into the starting lineup and fellow second-year guard Miles McBride also earning an increased role off the bench in recent games.

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