WASHINGTON — Quentin Grimes has a sprained left wrist and is “questionable” for Friday night’s game against the Wizards, the Knicks said, a welcomed development after the two-way guard left Wednesday’s contest versus the Hawks in pain.
Grimes was injured in Atlanta at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when he contested a drive and appeared to jam his hand on the body of Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Grimes immediately grabbed his left wrist and bee-lined to the locker room in obvious pain.
He wasn’t available to the media after the Knicks (6-5) toppled the Hawks, 116-114.
“It’s very tough and that’s unfortunate, but we have a next-man-up mentality,” Jalen Brunson said Thursday. “Guys step up but as a team we had to step up together. We have a lot of great players on this team that can do a lot of great things. Obviously we want Quentin to come back when he’s healthy, when he’s ready, whatever goes on, but I think for us we all know what we have to do.”
RJ Barrett, who missed the last two games, is also “questionable” with the same illness/migraines issue, the Knicks said.
If Grimes is unavailable against the rebuilding Wizards (2-9) — and assuming Barrett returns — three candidates to jump into the lineup are Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Immanuel Quickley.
Hart has started four games already this season because of Barrett’s absences, while DiVincenzo, who started 36 games last season for the Warriors, is more of a natural two-guard.
Quickley has been one of the Knicks’ top scorers for the last two seasons.
After Grimes went down in Atlanta, the Knicks surged down the stretch behind Brunson, Quickley and Julius Randle.
”Obviously you never want anyone to get hurt, but [Quickley] played great for us down the stretch,” Hart said “[DiVincezo] played well, so when someone goes out it’s next man up.”
Grimes, 25, took the starting job from Evan Fournier early last season and kept it since.
This season, as the distant fourth offensive option in the lineup, he’s averaging 8.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting from the field and 39.7 percent on 3-pointers.
Most importantly, he’s charged with guarding the opposition’s top perimeter threat.
Grimes is eligible for a contract extension after this season.
He missed time last season with foot and shoulder injuries.