Knicks' Miles McBride Gets Injury Scare in First Game Back

Did the New York Knicks rush Miles McBride back too soon from his sports hernia surgery?

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

Miles McBride had waited six weeks to get back on the court for the New York Knicks. His return against the Oklahoma City Thunder was supposed to be a feel-good moment. It did not stay that way for long.

McBride exited in the third quarter after colliding with Thunder guard Luguentz Dort while both players dove for a loose ball. He grabbed at his groin area and headed to the locker room. He did not return.

Deuce McBride first game back from hernia surgery heads to locker room holding similar area after hitting floor with Lu Dort pic.twitter.com/P3HpiRj0nR

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 30, 2026

Per The New York Post's Stefan Bondy, coach Mike Brown said after the game: "It's tough. He's worked his tail off to be back."

McBride had undergone sports hernia surgery in early February. That procedure repairs tendons that attach to the pelvis, and in some cases involves the tendons connecting thigh muscles to the adductors. The Knicks now have to wait and see whether this new collision hit the same spot.

He finished the night with zero points on 0-of-3 shooting, one rebound, one assist, and one block in 11 minutes. The Knicks lost 111-100.

Miles McBride Injury Update

Brown did not have a full medical update immediately after the game.

"I haven't talked to medical yet, so I don't know how bad it is. But it's tough. He's worked his tail off to be back," he told reporters.

Brown also spoke about what McBride brought before exiting.

"And I don't think he made a shot in the first half, but he gave us a lift. You felt his presence. It made us deeper. And because of the foul trouble we had, we were a little shorthanded in that second half, and it was part of the reason they were able to pull away, too."

Before the main injury, McBride was having a career year. He was averaging 12.9 points and shooting 42 percent from three, both career highs. Depth-wise, Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado have filled in reasonably well, but neither gives the Knicks what McBride does on defense and off the dribble.

New York is now 48-27 on the season. In the 28 games McBride missed before this one, the Knicks went 20-8. The team clearly did not fall apart without him, but having him back healthy is a different conversation entering the playoffs.

Next up for the Knicks is a road matchup against the Houston Rockets. The team will hope to have more clarity on McBride's status before then, because the last thing anyone in New York wants is to start a playoff run without him.

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