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Knicks Injuries: What's Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle's Status For Game 2 vs Heat?
There's no day off from NBA postseason dramatics for the New York Knicks.
As the hours dwindle toward a crucial Game 2 contest against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), the Knicks posted a bit of an alarming injury update: while fans were aware of All-Star Julius Randle's potential absence after he missed Sunday's opener with a sprained ankle injury, New York also added point guard Jalen Brunson, who is said to have a sore right ankle.
Both have been labeled questionable for Game 2.
Any Knicks fan even marginally aware of the team's postseason exploits knows what Randle is dealing with, as he re-injured the ankle that kept him out of the final five games of the regular season during New York's clinching victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Losing Brunson, however, would be a new blow entirely, one that would make the climb back from a 1-0 series deficit much steeper.
Brunson had 25 points in defeat on Sunday afternoon, shooting 0-of-7 from three-point range in the 108-101 loss. The Knicks did manage to go 7-7 when Brunson sat out this season, which includes a 1-2 posting over the meaningless final three games of the year. However, they never had to go through a game without both Brunson and Randle this year, as the latter partook in the first 77 regular season showings before sustaining the first ankle injury, ironically against the Heat, on Mar. 29.
Eyes will likewise linger on the Miami injury report, which is headlined by postseason superstar Jimmy Butler. The former Tom Thibodeau disciple sustained an ankle injury of his own when he rolled it on Knicks defender Josh Hart in Game 1 and was in noticeable pain as he was attended to by the training staff.
Butler is listed as "questionable" with an ankle sprain on the Heat's medical list. He returned for the final five minutes of the game but was rendered mostly immobile as his teammates put the finishing touches on a big win that's put them three more away from their third conference finals showing over the past four seasons.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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