Andre Drummond was benched and said he didn’t get an rationalization.
“Control what I can control. I can’t do s–t about not playing,” the middle said. “All I can do is cheer my teammates on and hope for the best.”
About halfway through the second quarter, Drummond was caught jogging back on protection and was crushed in transition by Orlando middle Wendell Carter Jr., main to an open layup for the Magic in their 111-102 win Sunday at the Garden.
New York Knicks middle Andre Drummond (0) defends under the basket during the first quarter of an NBA basketball recreation against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
Brown called a timeout and subbed out Drummond for good. The backup middle minutes then went to James Wiseman, who struggled while taking pictures 0-for-5.
Drummond said he didn’t know why he was pulled — “You can make the guess for me” — and added that he’s “probably not” owed an rationalization.
The 33-year-old veteran, who was signed in the summer time to change Mitchell Robinson, also performed sparingly in Friday’s loss to the Celtics.
Brown said Drummond will stay the first backup in Tuesday’s recreation against the Pistons.
“I felt our transition defense wasn’t good during that time, not just because of [Drummond], but I wanted to go with a change,” Brown said. “Wiseman’s been playing well in practice. I wanted to give him an opportunity and I thought he was pretty good in his first stint [in the first half]. And so I decided to go with him for a second stint. But Andre will go out there as a backup in the next game.”
Before Sunday’s loss, Brown warned that all the reserve spots are up for grabs.
“First thing I wanna make clear is we have our starting five. Other than that, anybody can play,” Brown said. “When you’re a backup in this league, that doesn’t imply you’re always gonna be the seventh man or you’re always gonna be the eighth man.
New York Knicks middle James Wiseman (35) pulls down a rebound during the second quarter of an NBA basketball recreation against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
“No, no, no, no, no, no. It’s competitive. And it’s less so with the starting group if your starting group is established, which ours is, but everybody else after that starting five, I can throw in front of the next guy in a heartbeat.”
Jose Alvarado sat out Sunday’s recreation with an ankle sprain. Tyler Kolek performed quarter-hour in his spot and went scoreless with 9 assists.
The finish of the night time also turned somber when Jalen Suggs, the Magic’s start line guard, appeared to endure a important knee harm while driving to the basket. His leg buckled and he collapsed in ache, as teammates huddled around.
Source hyperlink
