Knicks Get Encouraging Injury Update on Miles McBride

The New York Knicks sit at 44-25, firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but the last few weeks have not been pretty. They have been winning ugly, and the team knows it. Some news that could change the vibe came through.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported the following on X:

"Encouraging news: Deuce McBride is taking contact, according to Mike Brown. He hasn't played since January and said he's hoping to return before the playoffs."

Encouraging news:

Deuce McBride is taking contact, according to Mike Brown.

He hasn’t played since January and said he’s hoping to return before the playoffs.

Game 1 is a month away.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 17, 2026

McBride has been out since late January after undergoing core muscle surgery, more commonly called a sports hernia. Before going down, he was having the best season of his career, averaging 12.9 points per game and shooting 43.4 percent from the field. He is the kind of player whose absence quietly changes how a team looks, and New York has felt every bit of it.

The starting five has been struggling to get going early in games, and it has become a pattern that is hard to ignore.

Mike Brown himself was not happy about it after the Warriors' win, even though the Knicks came back to win. When your own coach is publicly frustrated after a victory, something is clearly off.

Part of what makes the slow starts harder to fix is that both Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are going through shooting slumps at the same time. The two wings who are supposed to take pressure off Jalen Brunson have been quiet, which means Brunson ends up doing too much, too often.

Jan 17, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) reacts during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

How Miles McBride's Return Could Fix the Knicks' Biggest Playoff Problem

This is exactly where McBride fits in. He helps the team on offense and draws opponents' defensive attention when he is on the floor. That spacing is what opens driving lanes for Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and it has been missing nowadays.

If Bridges and Hart continue to be cold, having McBride come off the bench and immediately provide that floor-stretching threat changes the math for opposing defenses. He does not need to take over a game. He just needs to be a guy they have to guard, and that alone makes everyone else's job easier.

The Knicks are still winning, but they are doing it the hard way against teams they should be handling more comfortably. Getting McBride back healthy, with enough time to shake off rust before the playoffs, could quietly clean up a lot of what has looked messy. That window is tight, but it is still open.

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