NBA
Why isn’t Julius Randle playing for the Knicks against the Pacers in game 5?
Heading into Game 5, it’s all tied up at 2-2 in this keenly fought semi-final series, but Tom Thibodeau must contend with a mounting injury list.
There hadn’t been much to choose between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers during this Eastern Conference semi-final series, with two of the three opening games being determined by just a handful of points. The Pacers were two games down before getting back into contention by taking Game 3 (111-106) and then tied the series in front of their own fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a standout 121-89 performance.
Injury status for Knicks in Pacers series
The Knicks currently have six players on their injury list with OG Anunoby joining the walking wounded in Game 2 and not expected back until 17 May. Thibodeau has been without Julius Randle since January and neither of the two will play a part in tonight’s matchup.
What injury does Randle have and when will he return?
Randle dislocated his right shoulder in the 125-109 regular-season win over the Miami Heat on 27 January. After two months of painful rehabilitation, in an attempt to avoid surgery and make it back in time for the postseason, he was forced to undergo a campaign-ending operation in early April. The head coach explained that all options were explored.
“We wanted to take a look at it - could we rehab it and strengthen it, and get it to the point where he could play? And we could never get there, so this is the decision.”
Announcing that Randle was to go under the knife, the Knicks said the 29-year-old forward would be re-evaluated in September.
Who else is on the Knicks’ injury report?
New York are still without Bojan Bogdanovic, who sustained a foot injury during the first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers; Mitchell Robinson, who hasn’t appeared since Game 1 against the Pacers due to an ankle problem; and the aforementioned OG Anunoby the latest to join the report, hobbling out of Game 2 after pulling his left hamstring. Bogdanovic and Robinson have both been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Duane Washington Jr and Charlie Brown are also missing and not expected back until October at least.
How to watch Knicks vs Pacers Game 5
The New York Knicks welcome the Indiana Pacers back to Madison Square Gardens today, Tuesday 14 May 2024, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the game live on ESPN, and have the option of streaming the action on the online platform fuboTV, which offers new users a free trial.
Enjoy the Knicks vs the Pacers live on fuboTV (free trial available)
The No. 2 seed in the East, the Knicks are bidding to reach the conference finals for the first time since the 1999/2000 season. The most recent of the franchise’s two NBA championships came back in 1973. After failing to make it to the postseason for three seasons in a row, the Pacers aim to book a place in the finals for the first time since 2014. Their record in the playoffs is 189-180 - the team has won six and lost four in the current postseason.