NBA
Why isn’t Julius Randle playing for the Knicks against the Pacers in Game 7?
The Knicks have home advantage in the seventh and final meeting of the series with the Pacers tied 3-3.
NY Knicks fans are poised to crack out the champagne, as for the first time in 24 years, their team stands just one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.
But a slip-up against the Pacers saw the series extend to a full-length 7 games, with the pressure on the home side to deliver in front of their home fans in New York.
“We still need one more win so we can’t get too excited about it,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We have to understand what we need to do, stay focused on the task at hand. If you feel good about yourself you get knocked down in this league. We’ve got to be ready to go.”
New York star guard Jalen Brunson sunk 44 points in Game 5 and is averaging 32 points in the series while dealing with a foot injury. He also called on the Knicks to stay grounded.
“I think as a team, no matter what the situation is, we have the same mindset no matter what,” Brunson said. “And regardless of how I’m feeling or someone else is feeling, we know what’s at stake, we know what we have to do and we’re going to figure it out.”
“I think the most important thing is to not get lost in the hyperbole and the distractions and focus and lock into the task at hand, which is winning the game,” Thibodeau added. “So put the necessary work into it and don’t get lost.”
Knicks injury concerns
Knicks forward OG Anunoby will miss his fourth straight game due to a hamstring injury sustained in Game 2.
The Knicks have once again been forced to name Julius Randle (right shoulder surgery) on their injured list with the curtain coming down on Randle’s season last April when he was forced to have surgery on a persistent shoulder problem
Mitchell Robinson, with a left ankle issue and Bojan Bogdanovic with a foot problem have also been sidelined by the Knicks for the remainder of the season.