In an unprecedented moment for the NBA, the league announced that it has suspended the 2019-20 season following the conclusion of Wednesday night's games due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The announcement came from the league as the Knicks were in action in Atlanta. The Knicks went on to beat the Hawks 136-131 in overtime, but after the game, all of the talk was about what comes next for the Knicks given the season's uncertain outlook.
"At this point, we're just going to trust what our medical team is telling us and then be very conscious and aware if anybody would happen to have symptoms, and then we know what we do from there," interim head coach Mike Miller told reporters in Atlanta after the game.
"Obviously, I appreciate the diligence, the work that has gone into it. I have completely trusted our medical team and what the NBA is doing, because I know that their first concern is the safety of everybody. It goes way beyond players and coaches. There are so many people that are included in that. So I trust what they're telling us and I continue to just get the information as it comes in and then we'll do as we're instructed to make sure that everybody remains safe."
The news of the season being suspended came shortly after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus just before Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In a released statement, the NBA said the league will "use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic."
The statement also said that the affected player was not in the arena for the game.
So what comes next for the Knicks, and the rest of the NBA for that matter?
First things first, the Knicks weren't even sure of what their travel plans were after the game. The team was scheduled to go to Miami for a game on Friday, but will now be heading back to New York at some point.
"Well, we're working it out," said Miller. "Our travel plans are not clear as of right now, but at some point, we will be going back to New York in the near future in the next day or whatever it's going to be. I can't even say right now."
SNY's Ian Begley has confirmed that the Knicks are staying overnight in Atlanta.
Miller said that team president Leon Rose and GM Scott Perry were with the team in Atlanta, and that the next steps, as far as practicing and other on-court activities, is still unknown.
"I'm not sure that those things have completely been determined," said Miller. "I think maybe as we get to tomorrow we'll know more about it, and I think the first step was to make sure that the players knew exactly what was going on at this minute and why that decision was made, and then we're going to work together and stay together through this and see what the next instruction is and what we need to do."