NBA Injury Report: Julius Randle hurts his left ankle and heads to the locker room in Game 5
It was a sad day for New York Knicks fans as their star player Julius Randle re-injured his left ankle in Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Randle initially hurt the same ankle towards the latter part of the regular season when he accidentally stepped on Bam Adebayo's foot. This time around, the Knicks star got hurt after contesting a shot by Caris LeVert.
The sequence of events happened in the second quarter with only a minute and a half remaining. LeVert went for a drive from the elbow and decided to attempt a stop-and-pop shot.
Julius Randle then successfully contested LeVert's shot, however, and ended up on the ground as he landed from his block attempt. The play continued as LeVert nailed a three-pointer with Randle down on the floor.
Julius Randle heads to the locker room after re-injuring his ankle https://t.co/2NhlqAWLOM
Randle immediately returned to the locker room for treatment after the mishap. During halftime, the New York Knicks announced that their star player won't return for Game 5.
The Knicks lead the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1. If they have a chance to move on to the next round, however, will they be able to pull off the win without Randle by their side?
Will the absence of Julius Randle affect the New York Knicks?
While it's a bummer to know that Julius Randle might be out indefinitely, it doesn't seem like his absence will affect the New York Knicks in their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks were able to pull off two consecutive wins in games 3 and 4 despite Randle's lackluster performances. In Game 3, Randle only had 11 points, while in Game 4 he put up much less with seven points.
Having that in mind, it's safe to say that New York can handle their business without Randle in the lineup. If they do end up advancing to the semifinals, can the team do the same without their star player? We are yet to find out whether Julius can return in their remaining postseason games. In the meantime, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson need to step up.
Luckily for the Knicks, both Barrett and Brunson have been money for the team. Hopefully, their hot scoring streaks will continue if they do end up making it to the next round.