Update: The New York Knicks announced just before tip-off that both Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle will be active in Game 2 against the Miami Heat Tuesday night.
The New York Knicks dropped their opener in the Eastern Conference Semifinals at home to the Miami Heat Sunday afternoon.
New York was without All-Star forward Julius Randle (ankle sprain) for that game after he had to exit the Knicks’ series-clinching Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 1.
Heading into what is pretty much a must win at home Tuesday evening, Randle is officially listed as questionable. That isn’t too surprising given the injury he’s dealing with.
However, star guard Jalen Brunson also made a surprise appearance on the Knicks’ injury report one day before that monumental Game 2 matchup in the Big Apple. New York’s best player is said to be dealing with a sore ankle.
It’s not known when he suffered said injury given that Brunson played 40 minutes in New York’s 108-101 loss to Miami on Sunday. He also scored 25 points on 11-of-23 shooting despite missing all seven of his three-point attempts.
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New York Knicks won’t be able to even series without Jalen Brunson
Obi Toppin replaced Randle in the Knicks’ starting five on Sunday and played good basketball. The former lottery pick scored 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He hit on 4-of-11 from distance while grabbing eight rebounds. Meanwhile, the Knicks were even in the 31 minutes Toppin played.
Of course, having Julius Randle on the court would be absolutely huge for the New York Knicks. With that said, the potential absence of Brunson is a larger story.
- Jalen Brunson stats (2022-23): 24.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.2 APG, 49% shooting, 42% 3-point
As you can see, Brunson was among the best point guards in the Association during his first regular season with the Knicks. He is their floor general on offense and leading scorer. The Knicks were 7-7 in the 14 games Brunson missed during the regular season. They posted a 40-28 record when he suited up.
If Brunson is unable to go for Game 2, New York will likely have to rely on Derrick Rose and Miles McBride seeing action. Both were inactive for Game 1. In fact, Rose has only seen action in two games (six overall minutes) since New Year’s Day. McBride has played in less than 12 minutes through New York’s first six NBA Playoff games.
As for the Miami Heat, they could also be down a star player for Game 2. Jimmy Butler suffered an ankle injury in the closing minutes of Game 1 after dropping 25 points. His status won’t be revealed until right before tip-off Tuesday evening from Madison Square Garden.