Miles McBride was ruled out of the NBA Cup quarterfinals in Toronto on Tuesday due to a sprained left ankle, the Knicks announced.
McBride appeared to twist his ankle while driving to the basket in a win over the Magic on Sunday afternoon. He tumbled in pain, but got up to try the free throws.
His X-rays were negative and he underwent an MRI examination on Monday, leaving the surgery in walking boots for the appointment.
McBride had a breakout month as he averaged 14.6 points over the past seven games while shooting 57.4 percent on treys. He also collected more playing time following Landry Shamet’s shoulder injury, solidifying his return to a rotation short on backup guards.
If McBride misses multiple games, the Knicks will have a potential depth conundrum. But Brown said his backup point guard isn’t burdened with many responsibilities.
As it stands right now, Tyler Kolek is the backup behind Jalen Brunson.
“You guys are watching us enough; we don’t put a lot of pressure on our backup point guard to play for everyone. I call the position a push man, but it’s a push man initiator,” Brown said, later adding, “So as long as we have guys who can pass or dribble or shoot, then we feel good. And when I say dribble, I mean you just have to bring the ball up and initiate the offense because that’s when the dominoes fall.” by itself.”
Still, McBride has filled several holes for the Knicks as a shot creator with efficient 3-point shooting while also being a tenacious defender on the ball. The Knicks (16-7) are 0-3 this season if McBride doesn’t play.
He missed two games due to a death in his family and a third due to an illness.
“He’s playing phenomenal,” Brunson said. “If something happens [and he misses games because of the ankle injury]then we will of course miss a large part of our team.
“Healthy or not, Deuce has been remarkable this year. The way he shoots, the way he plays defense, everything he does has had an impact on winning. He’s playing great. So we’ll see how it goes. But obviously we need him.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who played Sunday’s game with tight calves, participated in Monday’s practice but was still listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game in Toronto. The Raptors (15-10) have gone just 3-5 without Barrett.
“We’re still evaluating him,” Brown said.
RJ Barrett will not play for the Raptors against his former team, missing his ninth straight game with a knee sprain.
On Monday, the Raptors announced that Barrett received a PRP injection in his knee and will be reevaluated in a week.
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