Knicks Bulletin: “Yeah, came back like a champ.”

The Knicks had Saturday off following their loss at San Antonio on Friday. It’s Easter Sunday and that means New York will be hosting the visiting Thunder to put an end to March.

This month was the one in which many players were expected to make their returns to the Knicks lineup but only one did while at the absolute end of it while another was limited to a few games before getting back to the shelf.

Here are a few words shared by the two biggest Knicks as well as a joke of a distant exchange of words between Donovan Mitchell and Dan Gilbert.

Mitchell Robinson

On his thoughts after playing two games and getting 20 minutes of run against the Spurs...

“I think I played a solid game for my second game back. What did I get, seven [points] and 12 [rebounds]? We’re getting right back to the action. Isn’t that what I averaged before I went out? Yeah, came back like a champ.”

On being a little rusty coming off a four-month recovery...

“Timing is off. It’s brutal. I think I was playing really well [before the injury]. Then sitting out the four months, it throws … your whole timing off. But it is what it is. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. I can be better. I’m a basketball player. I’ve been in this six years.”

On slowly getting back in shape heading into the playoffs...

“First game, getting the vibe back of playing in front of a big crowd. And the second game—do it with a little more energy.”

On how his latest injury compares to the one he suffered a few years ago...

“The recovery from the stress fracture in his left ankle has been a lot easier than after the fractured right foot sustained in 2021.”

“That one the bone just snapped on the foot. The fifth metatarsal just broke. This one was just like a hairline fracture.”

”This one is a whole lot easier than the last one. Last one, I was out [about six months]. This one is not so bad.”

Isaiah Hartenstein

On the Nets coming out the blue sharing a fabricated report to tank his stock...

“[The Nets] red-flagged me for my knee. I never had knee problems in my life. The only thing I had was something with my back. I knew that. So I’m like maybe it’s my back. On draft night, my agent’s like, ‘What’s wrong with your knee?’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? My knee is fine.’ He’s like, ‘Brooklyn just red-flagged you for your knee so you’ll probably drop a couple spots.”

On his drop to the second round on draft night related to those fake reports...

“I was projected to fall in the 15 to 35 range of the draft. Instead, I was picked 43rd by the Houston Rockets.”

“Draft night, they’re like. ‘Houston wants to talk to you.’ At the time, before that I was projected 15 to like 35. And Houston had 43. So I’m like, why do they want to talk to me? I’m on this Zoom call uninterested, pissed, like why am I talking to these people right now? And they ended up drafting me because I got red-flagged.”

On Houston’s assessment of his knee “issues”...

“They’re like, there’s nothing wrong with your knee.”

On how draft night developed and the moment he was picked by Houston...

“Everything worked out perfectly. But my draft night was ruined by the Nets. I think after 35th (was called), I’m upstairs in the suites, I’m pissed. I’m like, ‘Why did they red flag me, why did I drop so far?’ Actually, when I got drafted, I was in the restroom. I was in the restroom taking a piss. All I hear, my dad sprint in ‘Isaiah, Houston just drafted you.’”

Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers Owner)

On the future of Donovan Mitchell with the Cavs...

“We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract. We think he will extend.”

“I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city. He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we’re just kind of putting the core together that he’s clearly the biggest part of.”

Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers Players)

On the comments made by Dan Gilbert and his thoughts on a potential contract extension...

“The biggest thing for me—as I said before to you earlier—my focus is I’ve got a lot of things to focus on outside of that [contract negotiation] right now.”

“I’ve got to focus on myself, getting back for this group, focus on us getting over this stretch, continuing to be ready when it comes time. So, I’ll handle that when it comes.“

“I understand you have to ask that question. And I’ll give you the same answer.”