Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Knicks Injuries: Mike Breen Provides Hopeful Update for Julius Randle
If the New York Knicks are truly going to go out with a "BANG!," it appears they'll have their All-Star representative with them for at least some part of the NBA Playoffs.
Mike Breen, the longtime voice of the Knicks on MSG Network, provided hope for fans pining to see Julius Randle partake in the upcoming first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio. Randle missed the final five games of the Knicks' regular season after sustaining an ankle injury in a Mar. 29 win over Miami. He is set to be re-evaluated this week after he was initially given a two-week rest period.
According to Breen, it's not a matter of if Randle plays against the Cavs ... but when.
"As for Randle, he's going to play in the series," Breen said in audio captured by Knicks analyst Alex Benesowitz. "Whether or not he's ready for Game 1, that's to be determined."
Breen confirmed that Randle is "out of the walking boot" that adorned his ankle when he sat on the bench for the final games of the regular season though he "hasn't had contact" as New York prepares for the postseason road ahead. The Knicks' series with the fourth-seeded Cavaliers is slated to tip off on Saturday evening in Cleveland (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"He's done nothing but therapy on the ankle," Breen, who will also call major playoff games on the ESPN family of networks, said. "So there's a good chance he's going to play, if not (Game) 1, at least very early in the series."
The Knicks (47-35) picked up a couple of big wins with Randle sidelined, including a 130-116 triumph in Cleveland that saw Jalen Brunson earn a career-best 48 points. New York. Losing Randle, however, would certainly be a blow for a metropolitan group seeking its first playoff series victory since the 2013 tournament. Randle appeared in all 77 games before his injury and averaged a career-best 25.1 points with 10 rebounds. He put up 69 points, 31 rebounds, and 15 assists in three games against the Cavs this season.
Obi Toppin took over Randle's spot in the starting five during the final stretch of the 82-game slate and responded well to the challenge in mostly meaningless games. In five starts, Toppin tallied 21.8 points a game and sank 58 percent of his shots from the field.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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