Knicks Get Injury Updates on Two Guards Before Trail Blazers Showdown

One‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ of the New York Knicks' key players will be returning just in time to help.

Josh Hart is expected to be in the lineup for tonight's game at home versus the Portland Trail Blazers, and this will undoubtedly be a huge lift for the Knicks as they aim for a fifth consecutive victory.

Miles McBride, on the other hand, will not be available for the game because of an ankle ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌issue.

Head coach Mike Brown confirmed both updates earlier today, according to Knicks beat reporter Ian Begley on X. Hart has been dealing with soreness in his right ankle, the same one that caused him to miss eight games earlier last month after he sprained it on Christmas Day against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Josh Hart (ankle) will play tonight, Mike Brown says. Miles McBride (ankle) will not play, he says.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) January 30, 2026

Hart was listed as questionable for the Raptors game too, but he's clearly past the worst of it now. The ankle has been an issue since Christmas Day, forcing him to miss eight games while the Knicks tried to figure things out without him. New York barely stayed above water during that stretch, going 3-5 and looking disjointed more often than not.

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ 30-year-old forward is being gradually brought back to the court this week. He played 35 minutes against the Toronto Raptors in New York's 119-92 thrashing, contributing 22 points on 7-11 shooting along with six assists. This season, he's averaging 12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while also engaging in all those little things that don't get recorded in the box ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌score.

McBride Out as Knicks Manage Backcourt Health

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

McBride's absence is less concerning for New York. The backup guard sat out the Raptors game with the same ankle management issue and hasn't played in back-to-backs all season. Brown has been careful about preserving his young guard's health after McBride missed eight games in December with an ankle sprain.

When‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ he's not sidelined, McBride has been a surprising player. He's putting up 12.9 points in each game on average and hitting more than 42% of his three-pointers, thereby providing New York with a dependable scorer off the bench who also has the ability to tightly defend opposing guards.

However, since the Knicks are on a four-game winning streak and Hart has returned to the team, they can take their ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌time.

Portland‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ comes to Madison Square Garden limping along. The Trail Blazers have lost their last three games and are currently at 23-25, however, they challenged New York pretty well in their most recent face-off. The Knicks won 123-114 in Portland on January 11, with Hart being on the court for 31 minutes in a game that was the first for him after the ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌injury.

New York enters at 29-18 and tied for second in the Eastern Conference. Getting Hart healthy and keeping him on the floor is the difference between being a good team and a legitimate contender in the East.

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