A new update came Friday on Julius Randle’s status for the New York Knicks’ semifinals opener against the Miami Heat, and it isn’t good for Knicks fans.
After 10 years of futility, the New York Knicks finally punched a ticket to the semifinals of the NBA Playoffs with a Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week. The victory was a monumental moment for the team and franchise. However, one player feeling a tinge of frustration after the game was likely Julius Randle.
In the first half, Randle re-sprained the same ankle that cost him the final five games of the regular season and had some concerned he could miss time in their first-round series against Cleveland. The two-time All-Star was able to make it through the first four games without issue, however, there are now fears that missing time is now unavoidable.
Julius Randle stats (’22-’23): 25.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 34% 3PT
On a Friday edition of Sportscenter, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski delivered an update on Julius Randle’s ankle and it seems pretty likely the New York Knicks will be without one of their top stars for at least one game in their series against the Miami Heat.
“I’m told that there’s gonna have to be some fairly considerable improvement between now and Sunday at 1 PM ET for Julius Randle to be available in Game 1 against the Miami Heat. This is the second time he has sprained this ankle within a month. He missed five games at the end of the regular season after having played every game.
“He did not do much other than some form shooting, some cardio, [and] some lifting at the Knicks practice today. But there’s certainly going to really have to be some improvement in this ankle for Julius Randle to be ready to go for Game 1.”
– Adrian Wojnarowski
The Miami Heat shocked the NBA world by eliminating the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. While the New York Knicks have a chance to beat the Heat in Game 1, his scoring could be huge in what is expected to be a defense-driven game and series.