Knicks-Heat Injuries: Are Brunson, Randle, Butler Playing in Game 2?

The New York Knicks biggest stars will be ready to roll as they seek avoid a 2-0 series deficit against the Miami Heat.

The New York Knicks have announced that point guard Jalen Brunson and forward Julius Randle will be available for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Each was originally labeled questionable for the game before their confirmation was confirmed.

In contrast, the Heat will be without postseason hero Jimmy Butler, who was lost to an ankle injury during the final stages of Game 1 on Sunday, a 108-101 Miami win. 

Randle is set to make his return after sitting out Game 1 due to reinjuring an ankle that kept him out of the final five games of the regular season during Game 5 of the Eastern quarterfinals against Cleveland. The original injury was ironically sustained against the Heat on Mar. 29.

Obi Toppin took over for Randle during the first game of the Miami series. While he put in 18 points and eight rebounds, Randle's absence was desperately missed as the Knicks were done in by Miami's physicality and interior work that allowed them to erase and surpass a New York lead that reached as high as 12.

Brunson, far and away the Knicks' lead contributor during their ongoing playoff run, was a surprise, if not alarming, addition to the medical report, listed thanks to ankle soreness. Though he picked up 25 points in the opening loss, Brunson blamed himself for the debate, primarily pointing to his 0-of-7 mark from three-point range (though he was hardly alone considering the Knicks' 7-of-34 tally from deep). The Knicks managed to do relatively well when he did not play, going 7-7 in the 14 regular season games he missed (including 1-2 in three final meaningless games when he rested).

Little more needs to be written about Butler's impact on the 2023 NBA Playoffs, as his efforts helped the eighth-seeded Heat take down the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round. Butler tallied a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double before rolling his ankle on Josh Hart's foot with five minutes remaining in Game 1. The six-time All-Star played the final five but was rendered mostly immobile in that span as his teammates sealed the deal.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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