New York Knicks rotation players Andrea Bargnani and J.R. Smith returned to the lineup on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bargnani, who had also missed the last 40 games of the 2013-14 season with a torn elbow ligament, missed the first 33 games of this season with a hamstring and calf injury. Smith had missed the past 10 games due to a small plantar fascia tear in his left foot.
On Wednesday, Bargnani scored nine points on 4-of-11 shooting and grabbed four rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench in the Knicks' 99-78 loss.
Bargnani came off the bench on Wednesday, but the Knicks had penciled him into their starting lineup entering the season. The former No. 1 overall pick injured his hamstring in the second quarter of the first preseason game and had been unavailable prior to Wednesday. He was on the verge of returning to the court after missing the first 12 games of the regular season, but suffered a calf strain in practice that set him back further.
Knicks president Phil Jackson said earlier this month the team -- and Bargnani -- had been disappointed with his condition.
The Knicks traded their 2016 first-round pick, two second-round picks, Marcus Camby and Steve Novak for Bargnani in the summer of 2013.
He's missed 75 of a possible 116 games since the trade.
Smith has been hampered by pain in his heel for much of the season.
He's averaging 10.3 points on 41 percent shooting. On Wednesday, Smith scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting in 17 minutes.
The Knicks have been hampered by injuries for much of the season. At 5-29, they are off to the worst 34-game start in franchise history.
Amar'e Stoudemire sat out Wednesday's game due to knee soreness. He has missed four of five games. Samuel Dalembert also missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.