76ers Rival Knicks Lose Key Player for Multiple Weeks

Philadelphia 76ers’ division rival, the New York Knicks, are dealing with a key injury setback as the 2022-2023 regular season winds down.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Knicks announced that the veteran forward Julius Randle would miss at least two weeks. He’s been diagnosed with an ankle sprain.

Randle’s recent injury concerns started on Wednesday night as the Knicks faced the Miami Heat. Late in the second quarter, Randle was spotted limping and clearly in pain.

The Knicks star left the court and didn’t return. Randle would play for just under 15 minutes on Wednesday night against the Heat. During that time on the floor, Randle connected on just one of his five shots from the field for three points. He also collected five rebounds and dished out one assist.

Without Randle on the floor for half the game, the Knicks got the job done and put the Heat away with a nine-point win. New York collected its second-straight win after climbing out of a three-game losing streak.

With a two-week timetable in place, Randle will miss the rest of the regular season, as the Knicks have just five games left to go before the playoffs.

Currently, New York is the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed with a 44-33 record. If the season ended today, they’d draw a first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Randle’s status for the playoffs is currently unclear. While the Knicks are ruling him out for the next two weeks, there is no plan for his return in place just yet. When the Knicks reach the two-week mark, Randle will be re-evaluated.

The chances of the Sixers facing the Knicks in the first round are slim. Currently, Philadelphia is 2.5 games in front of the Cavaliers. While the Knicks could slide back in the absence of Randle, the Nets are still three games behind New York.

Either way, Randle’s potential long-term absence in the playoffs could shake things up in the first round for the Knicks.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.