ORLANDO, Fla. — Knicks starting point guard Raymond Felton’s comeback lasted just one game. Returning from a six-game absence to rest his lingering strained hamstring for Monday night’s game against the Magic, the cursed point guard sustained a right groin injury with 3:15 left.
This could be even more serious than the hammy after feeling something “pop.” He will undergo tests, likely an MRI exam, on Tuesday.
“Very disappointing,’’ Felton said. “Can’t catch a break. I’m wishing for the best. I’ll get reevaluated. Hopefully they tell me something positive. That’s what I’m hoping for right now.’’
Felton collapsed to the court after reaching for the ball while being tugged at by Jameer Nelson. He got up for a moment and went down again and stayed down.
“I thought it popped,’’ Felton said. “Maybe it was just from my body being stretched out. Hopefully it’s nothing. Pray for me.’’
Felton enlivened the offense and finished with 13 points and four assists in 25:27. He needed to warm up on the stationary cycle after being taken out of the game to keep his left hamstring loose. Felton said the injury has nothing to do with the hammy, though it could be from overcompensation.
“Not even the same leg,’’ Felton said.
The Knicks are already without backup point guard Pablo Prigioni (broken toe) for another week or two. They will now need Beno Udrih to start again and use rookie Toure’ Murry as the backup.
“For him personally to keep getting hurt, mentally we don’t need that,’’ J.R. Smith said. “He’s our point guard, one of the leaders of our team. We can’t have him second-guessing his health.’’
NBA TV aired a special tribute to Knicks personnel director John Gabriel and Orlando president Pat Williams, who were in Philadelphia and Orlando together as executives and are suffering through illnesses. Gabriel, who lives in Orlando and joined the Knicks on Monday, is battling Parkinson’s disease and Williams has a form of cancer — multiple myeloma.