Now that the first day of NBA playoff action is here, one of the biggest questions entering Saturday’s matchups is whether or not Julius Randle will be available to play for the New York Knicks. He sprained his left ankle against the Heat on March 29 and has been sidelined since.
Tom Thibodeau’s said that Randle has been progressing each day, which is a great sign, but he participated in only the non-contact parts of practice on Thursday. Randle wasn’t made available to the media this week, so reporters haven’t been able to hear from him directly about how he feels.
If Randle doesn’t play on Saturday, fans can expect to see him maybe take the court for Game 2 on Tuesday. He’s a fierce competitor that will do whatever it takes to get back on the floor.
Is Julius Randle playing vs Cavaliers?
Julius Randle (sprained left ankle) will play in Game 1 after missing the final two weeks of the regular season.
Barring an unexpected issue during his pre-game warmups, NYK’s Julius Randle will play in Game 1 vs Cavs, per SNY sources. Randle would be playing for first time since his left ankle sprain in late March. ESPN earlier reported that there was ‘a lot of optimism’ Randle would play
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 15, 2023
Full Knicks injury report vs Cavaliers
Julius Randle (ankle) was upgraded from questionable to available.
Is Isaac Okoro playing vs Knicks?
Isaac Okoro (sore left knee) missed the final six games of the regular season for the Cavaliers. He went through parts of practice on Thursday that included contact and was listed as questionable for Game 1, but was upgraded to available.
Full Cavaliers injury report vs Knicks
Dylan Windler (foot) is out for Cleveland.
Knicks’ starting lineup vs Cavaliers
- Jalen Brunson
- Quentin Grimes
- RJ Barrett
- Julius Randle
- Mitchell Robinson
Knicks’ upcoming playoff games and schedule
New York will remain in Cleveland for Game 2, which will take place on Tuesday, April 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Apr. 18 at Cleveland
Apr. 21 in New York
Apr. 23 in New York
Apr. 26 at Cleveland (if necessary)
Apr. 28 in New York (if necessary)
Apr. 30 at Cleveland (if necessary)
3 Reasons Knicks can upset Cavaliers in highly anticipated playoff matchup
In a tight playoff matchup between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the East, here are three reasons why the Knicks can upset the Cavaliers.