NBA
Julius Randle injury update: Will he be back for round 2 of the playoffs?
After leaving Game 5 against the Cavaliers with an ankle sprain, the Knicks’ leading scorer is listed as questionable for Game 1 against the Heat.
Julius Randle suffered a right ankle sprain during Game 5 of the New York Knicks’ round 1 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ironically, this was a re-injury of a sprained ankle suffered in a regular season game against the Miami Heat, the Knicks’ opponents in round 2 of the playoffs.
Game 1 of round 2 in Madison Square Garden sees Randle still listed as questionable, with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau saying, “He’s not limping, but he hasn’t done anything on the court other than the shooting.”
Randle started all five first-round games against the Cavs but he wasn’t himself, finishing the series with a dreadful .235 shooting average from 3-point range and only a .338 overall.
Thibodeau went on to say, “The thing is, we’re not gonna put him in harm’s way. Obviously, he has a lot of say in it. The medical people have say in it, as well. So if he gets back the baseline that everyone is comfortable with, then he plays. If not, I trust our medical people, I trust Julius, and we have more than enough. So we’re hopeful that he plays, but if he doesn’t, just get out there and get it done.”
With or without Randle, the Knicks have a steep hill to climb as they try to slow down Miami’s Jimmy Butler. If they can pull that off, they will make the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 22 years.